Forever Autumn II: The All-Seeing Eye
by E350
Summary: It has been five years since that fateful September of 2012, and Dipper is now starting to think about his future. But a mysterious group led by a man from Stan's past has arrived in Gravity Falls, and their plans threaten to tear the Pines family and the whole town apart. Rated for violence. Wendip. Cover image temporary.
1. Prologue

Remember how I said I wouldn't start on Forever Autumn 2 until after Christmas?

Yeah, I got bored.

Enjoy!

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**Prologue**

_August 17__th__, 1987._

Wilson David Jenkins considered himself a sensible, down-to-earth man. To him, everything had an explanation – things could always be explained as God or human nature. Aliens and monsters were pulp mumbo-jumbo, and there was no such thing as the Men in Black.

Tonight, as he led the two black-suited men to his barn, he found himself unsure of his convictions.

The night had began normally enough. Wilson had turned in at nine, saying evening prayers before drifting off to sleep. At ten, he had been awakened by a loud noise, almost like an electrical generator. He sat up to find a bright blue light emitting from his barn.

He had ran over, stopping only to grab his shotgun. He had kicked the door open to find a strange vortex just below the roof – it felt like he was standing in front of a massive fan, and he found he had to clutch to a beam to prevent himself from being blown outside. He had watched in shocked awe as an unconscious man, brown haired, tall and somewhat stocky, fell from the vortex and landed in a pile of hay. Then the vortex had vanished.

Wilson's mind had been reeling from what he had seen, but he still prided himself on sensibility. He immediately locked the barn and called the authorities – half-an-hour later, these two feds had been dispatched to his Kansas property.

"So what are you, anyway?" asked Wilson, glancing back at the men as he led them along.

"I am Agent Ritter and my partner is Agent Paulsen," replied one agent – a large, bald, ageing man with a weathered face, "The rest is strictly on need-to-know basis."

The other agent – skinny, blonde and somewhat youthful – put a hand over the right breast of his suit.

"Okay, I get it," grunted Wilson, "Just get this fella off my property, will you?"

"It'll all be over soon, Mr. Jenkins," reassured Paulsen.

Wilson pulled the barn key from his jacket pocket and unlocked the padlock before pushing the door open. The barn inside was dark – Wilson picked up an electric lantern.

"Sorry, fellas, no electric lighting."

He turned on the lantern, shining it over a pile of hay. The strange man lay on top – for the first time, Wilson realised just how ragged he looked. His clothes were mere shreds, and a long beard covered his features.

"How long has the trail been cold again?" asked Paulsen.

"Since '82," replied Ritter, "Come on, let's wake him up."

The two agents walked over the man, leaning over him. Ritter pulled a small LED light from his suit jacket and shone it into the man's face. The light caused him to stir.

"...wh...where am I?"

He looked up and shrieked as he saw the two MiBs. He tried to back off, but was stopped by Ritter grabbing his arm.

"Mr. Pines, please, calm down!" he exclaimed, "You're back on Earth. You're fine."

The man – Mr. Pines, apparently, gazed into Ritter's eyes – Wilson noted that the man's expression looked deeply haunted.

"What year is it?" he asked, licking his lips slightly.

"1987," replied Paulsen, "You're in Kansas."

"Welcome back from Oz, I guess," shrugged Wilson.

Both agents sent him a cold glare.

"What? I was just trying to lighten the mood, fellas."

"I'll need you to answer a question," said Ritter, "Just to confirm your identity. Answer yes or no; did you work with Stanford Pines and Fiddleford McGucket to create a universe portal back in 1982?"

"Y-yes I did," replied Mr. Pines, "Stanford...it feels like a century ago."

"From your perspective, it might just have been," shrugged Paulsen.

"And you're familiar with Bill Cipher?" asked Ritter.

"Bill Cipher?" quizzed Wilson, "He a fed or something? Or some kind of Soviet agent?"

Paulsen glared at him again, and he shut up.

"Bill," growled Mr. Pines, "I remember Bill. If you're working for him..."

"On the contrary," replied Ritter, "We're here to make sure he and his ilk never threaten us again. We're on your side."

"Who are you?" demanded Mr. Pines.

"We, Stanley, are the All-Seeing Eye," replied Ritter, "And I think you can help us."

"Help you?" Stanley repeated, "But...where's...where's Stan..."

His eyes closed and he fell back into unconsciousness.

"Dammit, he's gonna need medical attention," grunted Ritter, grabbing Stanley and supporting him over his shoulder, "I'll get him to the car. Clean up here and we'll get back to base."

"Copy," nodded Paulsen.

Ritter nodded back and walked away.

"Wait, what do you mean _clean up?_" demanded Wilson, "You mean something like torching evidence? Fed, you ain't touching anything in this barn!"

"Sorry, Mr. Jenkins, I have my orders," replied Paulsen, "I can't leave any trace that we were here."

"So what, is this the thanks I get for finding your guy?" spluttered Wilson, "Dag nabbit, I've paid taxes all my life, I've voted in every election; I am red-blooded American to the core! I am not going to stand here and be spoon-fed your stupid little 'Men in Black' bull..."

"Please be rational, Mr. Jenkins."

Paulsen reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a pistol, pointing it at Wilson's face.

"There's no such thing as the Men in Black."

He pulled the trigger, and the evidence was removed.

* * *

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AN: So yeah, just a tad darker. Don't worry, I don't intend to go all grimdark on you.

Next chapter will be up tomorrow. It's actually already done - just needs editing.


	2. Chapter I: The Cache

And now, we greet our heroes! And Hohenbecker.

Guest review replies;

**Guest:** Yep - just when I thought I was out, my muse pulled me back in. :P Thanks for reading!

* * *

**Chapter One: The Cache**

_Gravity Falls, Oregon – August 17__th__, 2017 – Five Years after the defeat of Bill Cipher_

Dipper Pines mopped his brow as he reached the top of the hill, leaning against a large pine tree as he caught his breath. Not far behind, Soos struggled along upwards, his face red and bands of sweat running down his features. It was about mid-afternoon on a hot August day, at a time when most would retire inside to bask in the air-conditioning – but Dipper and Soos were not most people.

They were looking for the supernatural.

Dipper had grown a lot in the last five years, both figuratively and literally. He had grown to twice the height he'd been at thirteen, although to his abject disappointment he was still slightly shorter then Mabel. He still wore his trademark pine tree hat, but the old vest-t-shirt combination had given away to a ragged brown jacket, loose-fitting grey trousers and a dirty pair of black boots. Underneath this was a stained white shirt and a loose red tie – Dipper thought it made him look cool. His hairstyle hadn't changed (in that he didn't really have a hairstyle), and his face was haphazardly shaven.

Soos, on the other hand, was the same old handyman he'd always been. He wasn't a man who really felt the need to change his image – save for a mercifully short-lived attempt to grow a moustache in the autumn of 2016. The main difference that stood out was the simple silver ring on his finger.

"Okay," said Dipper, pulling his Journal out of his jacket, "This is where we last saw evidence of the sasquatch. Soos, I'm gonna need you to do that call again."

"Aw, jeez," breathed Soos, bending over as he reached the top, "Can I get my breath back first, dude? That hill took a lot out of me."

Dipper glanced at his watch.

"We got plenty of time," he shrugged, sitting down under the tree, "Take five, man."

"Thanks dude," panted Soos, walking over to another tree and slumping against it.

Dipper sat down and opened his journal. Five years of use had taken its toll – it now looked just as ragged and dog-eared as it's three predecessors. He opened to the first page and quietly read the words written there.

_Thursday, September 20__th__ 2012_

_Thirty years ago, Stanford Pines wrote three journals about the oddities of Gravity Falls. He was helped in this by his brother Stanley and by their friend Fiddleford H. McGucket. Unfortunately, their work was cut short by an incident with the Universal Portal in July 1982._

_This journal aims to finish what the Pines and McGucket started, finding undocumented instances of the supernatural and updating outdated entries in the previous books. We the undersigned promise not to quit working until the mysteries of Gravity Falls are solved._

_Signed,  
Dipper Pines  
Wendy Corduroy  
Soos Ramirez_

Dipper smiled to himself and closed the book. He looked up at the blue sky and sighed.

"Hey, Soos?"

"Yeah, Dipper?" replied Soos, having just finished dunking the contents of a water bottle over his head.

"You ever wonder what'll happen when we finish the journal?" he asked.

Soos shrugged.

"I dunno, dude," he said, "Never really thought that far ahead. Guess I'll just go back to doing what I did before I met you...whatever that was."

He glanced over to Dipper.

"What about you?"

"I've been thinking," replied Dipper, "There's a whole world out there. Maybe there are other places like Gravity Falls – places with more mysteries to solve. Maybe I could go around finding them."

"...so you wanna become a drifter?" quizzed Soos.

"Not a _drifter_," replied Dipper, "A _paranormal investigator_. Y'know, like...that show...what's that show called? Has the two FBI agents?"

Soos stared blankly back at him, and Dipper shrugged.

"Well, never mind," he said, "There's plenty more to do here, I guess."

He stood up, pacing to the north.

"Come on Soos, the mysteries of Gravity Falls aren't just gonna reveal thems-_AAAH!_"

The ground gave way under Dipper's feet and he fell forward into a dark, deep tunnel. He vaguely heard Soos call after him as he tumbled down the hole, bouncing off the rocky floor as he fell into darkness.

_Well_, he thought to himself, _this is it. I've found another bottomless pit and now I'm gonna_-

Then he hit the ground with a loud thump, rolling a few meters before coming to rest against a hard metal object.

"Ow," he muttered.

He shook his head and got to his feet, stepping to the side as he regained his bearings. This proved to be a good idea, as five seconds later Soos came crashing down after him.

They were in a small cave, lined on each side by rusty older lockers. Some were opened, revealing long-ruined black suits and empty crates. In the middle was a worn, rusty vintage car, weeds and undergrowth growing through the long eroded floor. The entrance to the cave was covered by plants and bushes, but it looked like getting out would be easy.

"Where are we?" Dipper asked out loud.

"Dunno," said Soos, climbing to his feet, "Maybe it's the Author's?"

Even years after finding out who the Author was, it still felt weird to call him Stan.

"Doubt it," replied Dipper, "This stuff looks too old for them. That thing looks like it was made in the Twenties."

He opened one of the lockers, finding a small, padlocked box. He reached down and grabbed a rock, using it to break the lock open. Behind him, Soos looked over the old car.

"Well, that's a fixer-upper," he mused, "Eh, I need something to do when I'm not chilling with you guys, right?"

"You're not seriously gonna try to fix that, are you?" quizzed Dipper, opening the box, "Look at it! It's a write-off!"

"Challenge accepted," declared Soos.

Dipper rolled his eyes but smiled regardless. He then looked down at the book.

"Hmm...it's a manifest," he declared, removing a small, brown piece of paper.

"What's it say?" asked Soos.

"All-Seeing Eye Cache Twenty Nine," read Dipper, "Decommissioned 8/15/1932. Cache contents contain one times Rolls Royce Phantom I, thirty times A.S.E. issue suits, thirty times M1921C Thompsons; all weapons removed to Cache Thirty, Dellingham, Nebraska to deal with _dwarf infestation?!_"

He turned over the scrap of paper, revealing a small map of the USA, Canada and Mexico. Dozens and dozens of towns and cities were marked – including Gravity Falls.

"Soos, look!" exclaimed Dipper, pointing to the marks, "These All-Seeing Eye guys must've been paranormal investigators! You know what this means?"

"I shouldn't go to Nebraska?"

"It means there are mysteries outside Gravity Falls!" exclaimed Dipper, "It doesn't end here!"

Dipper smiled broadly. He looked as though Christmas had come early.

"I can keep doing this all my life," he realised.

"You sure, dude?" mused Soos, "You really wanna be looking for the paranormal when you're eighty-five and you've got cataracts and back pain?"

Dipper ignored him, excitedly running for the mouth of the cave.

"I've gotta get back to the Shack and write these down!" said Dipper, pushing aside the bushes. He paused as he glanced outside.

"Wait, I know this spot," he realised, "This is near the lookout point. We're about fifteen minutes from the Shack."

"The things you miss, dude," shrugged Soos.

"I know, right?" nodded Dipper.

He shrugged and ran from the cave, heading back to the tourist trap he called home.

* * *

The first thing Dipper noticed when he opened the door to the Shack was how quiet it was. There were no tourists in the gift shop – the only sign of life was Wendy Corduroy, who waved from the register as they entered.

"'Sup, Dip?" she said, waving.

Wendy had not grown much taller in the years Dipper had lived in Gravity Falls, although she still had an inch or so on Dipper. She still wore a green flannel shirt, but she had taken to wearing a brown leather flight jacket over it. Under this, she wore dark red and rather stained flannel trousers and tan rain boots. Her old, now rather worn trapper hat still sat over her long red hair.

"We found something!" replied Dipper, "You gotta see it, it's been just over that way all this time and..."

"Where is everyone?" interrupted Soos.

"I dunno, somewhere," shrugged Wendy, smirking a little.

"Did the IRS turn up again?" asked Dipper.

"Ah man, dude, what if everyone got abducted by mind worms?!" exclaimed Soos.

"Soos," said Dipper, "You're catastrophizing."

"Yeah, come on man," added Wendy, "No way that happens twice."

Dipper heard a low muttering from under the counter. It sounded something like 'what do you mean, _twice?_'

"Is somebody hiding under the counter?" quizzed Dipper.

There was a stream of mumbling from under the counter. Suddenly, Stan popped up from behind, wearing an extremely forced grin. He was the same as he'd always been, save for a few new wrinkles here and there.

"It's just me, your Grunkle Stan!" exclaimed Stan, "I'm just sitting under the counter, as I tend to do. Anyway, aren't you home early?"

"_Stan_," stressed Dipper, raising an eyebrow.

Stan glanced down and sighed.

"Alright, you can come out now," he grumbled.

A girl in her late teens immediately vaulted out onto the top of the counter, flashed a toothy grin and stretched out her arms.

"_Dipper!_" exclaimed Mabel.

"_Mabel?!_" gasped Dipper.

Anything else he said was cut off as his sister jumped onto him and embraced him in a hug. He laughed and hugged back.

Mabel had grown even more then Dipper, in that she was about an inch taller than him. Her love for homemade sweaters had survived her teen years – today she was wearing a white-and-black one styled like a zebra's fur – but she had taken to wearing her hair shorter and under a black artist's beret. The skirts she had once worn had been replaced by green jeans. Her braces had come off years ago – Dipper was still getting used to that.

"Late birthday present," chuckled Wendy, "We were going to gift-wrap her but apparently that's illegal."

There was a knock on the 'employees only' door on the other side of the room.

"Can I come out now?"

"Is that Dad?" asked Dipper.

"That's how I got here," replied Mabel, releasing her brother from the hug.

The door opened. Dipper's father walked out, followed by a tall and slightly bearded teenager in a blue shirt and black tie.

"Your mother was having her parents over," shrugged his father, "So we brought Eddie instead. Mom sends her love..."

"Dad!" grinned Dipper, "Eddie!"

"Pines," nodded Eddie, smirking slightly.

"Aw man, this is great!" said Dipper, beaming, "How'd you do this without me knowing?"

"Step one," replied Stan, "We didn't tell Soos."

"Probably a good idea," admitted Soos.

"It doesn't matter," shrugged Dipper's father, "We're here, aren't we? Besides, your sister has something to tell you."

Mabel's grin widened.

"Okay, lay it on me," said Dipper, "What happened?"

"Guess who got accepted into CalArts?" beamed Mabel.

"I dunno, who..."

Dipper realised what she meant and grinned.

"Seriously? You got into art school?" exclaimed Dipper, "That...that's amazing, Mabel!"

"I know, right?" replied Mabel, somewhat giddily, "I'm just..._mind blown!_ Oh, I gotta tell Waddles!"

She ran through the employees' only door, jumping and whooping the whole way.

"Some things never change," said Wendy.

"Yeah," nodded Dipper's father, "You know, _speaking of that..._"

_Here it comes_, thought Dipper.

"Dad, we talked about this on the phone," he replied, "I know what I wanna do with my life. I..."

"Dipper, every member of the Pines family so far has gone to college," said Dipper's father, his tone stern, "I don't want..."

"I didn't," grunted Stan.

Dipper's father glared at him.

"I know you want to be a paranormal investigator," continued Dipper's father, "But you have to _think_. These things don't happen outside Gravity Falls. You can't do this forever, you need a stable job and..."

"Actually, I can," replied Dipper.

"Yeah, dude," nodded Soos, "We found this cave up near the lookout point. Dipper found a map."

"Turns out this stuff happens all over the place," grinned Dipper, "You just need to know where to look!"

"Really?" quizzed Wendy.

Dipper reached into his jacket and pulled out the map. Wendy, Stan, Eddie and Dipper's father passed it around, examining it closely.

"He's right," nodded Wendy, "It'd take years to check all this stuff out."

"I wonder if I can scan this?" mused Stan, "I could get copies framed and sell 'em! Two-hundred each!"

"_Oh no_," groaned Dipper's father, pinching the bridge of his nose, "This doesn't help."

Eddie simply glanced at the map, his expression unreadable. Dipper raised an eyebrow at him but said nothing.

"Alright, so maybe there's more," said Dipper's father, "But you've gotta think logistics, Dipper! You don't have a car, you don't have any savings..."

"Lay off him, will you Simon?" snapped Stan, "It's his life, he should be able to do what he wants! Have some faith in the kid!"

"But it's not gonna work out!" exclaimed Dipper's father.

He groaned in aggravation and rubbed his head.

"Look, I'm here for a week, we've got plenty of time to sort this out," he said, "But I'm not putting this to rest, Dipper! We're not done yet!"

He disappeared through the employees' only door.

"He's got a point," shrugged Eddie, "College is pretty useful."

"Yeah, but this is my _thing_, guys," replied Dipper, "I just wish I could get him to understand."

"Well, you've got my support, kid," said Stan, putting a hand on Dipper's shoulder, "Anything to get you out of this place. You know how much you cost to feed? Geez!"

He chuckled to himself and walked away.

"Dads are always like that, man," added Wendy.

"Even yours?" asked Dipper.

"_Especially_ mine," replied Wendy, exasperated, "If I get one more talk about how I need to hold up the 'Corduroy lumberjack tradition' I'm gonna punch a wall."

"Don't sweat it, dude," shrugged Soos, "He'll come round."

Dipper smiled and put his arm around his two friends.

"Thanks, guys," he nodded, "You're..."

"Uh, don't mean to interrupt," said Eddie, "But the paper you showed us said something about an All-Seeing Eye?"

"Yeah," Dipper replied.

Eddie nodded, scratching his chin.

"Would you mind taking us to go see it, then?"

* * *

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* * *

AN: Geez, Dipper's dad, have faith!

For those who didn't read FA1, Eddie Hohenbecker was a classmate of Dipper's back in Piedmont. They're sort of kind of friends now.


	3. Chapter II: Friends and Family

Prepare for talking!

Guest review replies;

**Zeditha:** Aw, thanks mate, that's very kind of you. :) Thanks for reading!

**randomreader:** Indeed. This is going to get quite a lot bigger then just Gravity Falls. Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

**Chapter II: Friends and Family**

The sun was beginning to set as Dipper, Wendy, Mabel, Soos and Eddie trudged up the hill towards the cache. The world around them was bathed in golden light from the sun, and the sky was a brilliant pale blue. All was peaceful in Gravity Falls.

"Well," said Dipper, pushing aside one of the bushes at the cave entrance, "Here we are!"

Wendy whistled as she stepped inside.

"Not bad," she said, "Can't believe we never found this."

"And there's the car," said Soos, smiling as he pointed at the wreck.

Eddie winced.

"Mr. Ramirez, that's a _scrapheap_," he said, "You can't fix that."

"Never underestimate Soos, Eddie," said Mabel, crossing her arms, "He could fix that thing in a week! _And _soup it up!"

"More like _Soos_ it up, hambone!" exclaimed Soos, raising a hand. Mabel high-fived him – Eddie rolled his eyes.

"Still, interesting looking thing," he admitted, "Rolls-Royce Phantom – these things were _very _expensive. Whoever built this cache had a lot of money to throw around."

He began to wander about the cave, looking around and muttering to himself.

"So," mused Soos, "I'm thinking...new engine, new tires, probably gonna need to replace all the furniture...ooh, some kind of inbuilt MP3 port, everyone needs that..."

"So you wanna be a paranormal investigator, Dipper?" asked Mabel.

"Why not?" shrugged Dipper, "I enjoy it, I'm good at it and there isn't really any competition..."

"Don't you ever think it's kinda dangerous?" said Mabel, "I mean, maybe you should go to college first, get some skillage on you..."

"Did dad put you up to this?" asked Dipper.

"Besides," added Mabel, ignoring Dipper's question, "College is fun! I mean, you came out of college all self-improved and stuff, didn't you Soos?"

"Huh?" said Soos, looking up from his inspection of the car, "Uh, no dude, I didn't go. Didn't have the money. Anyway, what do you guys think of gold rims? I mean, I don't actually _have_ gold, but we could always paint them yellow..."

"...alright," nodded Mabel, "But what about you, Wendy? Did you..."

"I didn't go either," shrugged Wendy, "Nearest college is an hour down the road. Only guys I know who went were Thompson, Robbie and Tambry."

"Dang it!" cursed Mabel, "I'm trying to make a point here!"

"Mabel, why are you so worried about this?" asked Dipper, "I've got a plan – sort of – and I don't really wanna go to college."

"Dipper, I don't want you travelling around the country on your own," replied Mabel, "There's bad people out there, and I'm worried you might end up hurt or worse..."

"Mabel, there's bad people _here_, too," reminded Dipper, "I mean, last week I got held up by a band of gnome-highwaymen."

"Yeah, but they're _gnomes_," said Mabel, "I'm talking about robbers and murderers and M-Men in Black..."

"There's no such thing as the Men in Black, Mabes," grunted Dipper, "They're just underpaid, underfunded government agents. I'll be fine."

"Pines, trust me," Eddie called from the other side of the room, "She's got a point. Remember Lonnighan? There are dangerous people out there, and they're always the ones you least expect. If I were you, I'd take college."

"Thanks, Eddie!" Mabel said brightly.

"No problem, Mabel."

Dipper sighed, and put a hand on Mabel's shoulder.

"Mabel, I understand," he said, "You think that if I do this, we'll drift out of contact and you won't see me again."

"I...yeah, kinda," replied Mabel, scratching the back of her head.

"I won't let that happen," vowed Dipper, smiling sympathetically, "I'll call every day – every two days at least. We're the Mystery Twins; I haven't let that fade away yet, have I?"

Mabel returned Dipper's smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Well," she shrugged, "I guess I tried."

She turned to Soos, who was looking quizzically under the hood of the car. Her eyes were drawn to his ring finger.

"Hey Soos," she called, "What's with the bling?"

Her eyes widened.

"Did you and Melody..." she breathed.

Soos turned to face her and grinned.

"Yeah, dude," he replied, eyes twinkling, "Popped the question two weeks back. Few months from now, I'm gonna be a married man!"

He paused for a moment, staring into the distance.

"Yep, saying that remains terrifying," he nodded.

"Oh my gosh I can't believe it she gonna be Mrs. Soos!" exclaimed Mabel, jumping into the air with excitement, "We gotta plan for the wedding! We gotta get Dipper to find a unicorn and then she can ride the unicorn and this is so great we gotta go congratulate Melody let's go!"

"Mabel, are you forgetting to breathe again?" asked Eddie, walking up with a roll of old paper under his arm.

"COME ON!" shouted Mabel, grabbing Eddie by the arm and racing out of the cave. Soos watched them go, shrugged, and ran after them.

"...and there she goes again," nodded Dipper, "Second time she's run off on me today."

"You know how she gets about 'summer romances'," shrugged Wendy, "Don't take it personally, man."

"Nah, I won't," replied Dipper, "We can hang out tomorrow. I _really_ hope she's not being serious about that unicorn, though."

"You didn't tell her about that one?" chuckled Wendy, sitting on the bumper of the rusty car.

"Nah," replied Dipper, sitting next to her, "I didn't wanna ruin unicorns for her. I mean, _wow_, who knew they were such jerks?"

"I know, right?" agreed Wendy, "Man, those guys needed to get over themselves."

"Tell me about it," nodded Dipper, putting on an impression of an upper-class English accent, "'We're pure unicorns and we claim your virgins because we're superior, even though we have no opposable thumbs!'"

"I'm surprised Candy forgave you for getting her into that one," admitted Wendy.

"It's not the worst thing I got her into," shrugged Dipper.

He sighed and bowed his head.

"Too bad it never worked out, huh?" he muttered.

"Teen romances, dude," shrugged Wendy, "Most of the time, they don't last. Besides, you're still friends, right?"

"Yeah," nodded Dipper, "Still, she's the only one I've ever dated. Kinda sucks, gotta admit."

"Eh, dating's overrated," said Wendy, "You're too busy being awesome to deal with that."

Dipper smiled for a moment, before looking his friend in the eyes.

"What do you really think about my chances of becoming a paranormal investigator?" he asked.

Wendy smiled and put a hand on her shoulder.

"If you wanna do this," she replied, "Do it. I'll back you up."

Dipper nodded.

"Thanks, Wendy," he replied, "That means a lot. It...it really does."

"No problem, Dip," replied Wendy, putting an arm around his shoulder, "It's what best friends are for, isn't it?"

"Sure is, I guess," nodded Dipper.

He glanced back at the car.

"You really think Soos can fix this?" he asked.

"This is Soos we're talking about," replied Wendy, "He'll do it."

* * *

Early the next morning, Dipper found himself sitting at the kitchen table in the Shack, playing checkers with Stan. He didn't look amused at all.

He had woken early that day, intent on spending the day with his twin sister – only to find she had left the Shack already, bound for Grenda's house. When Dipper asked how long his sister planned to be, his father had shrugged and said "a while, I guess. Now, can we talk about college again?"

Having dodged that conversation, Dipper had made his way to the kitchen, where he had found Stan and Soos eating breakfast. Soos had excused himself soon after Dipper had arrived, intending to tow the wrecked car down to the Shack for repairs – Dipper and his Grunkle were left alone in the room.

"I just can't believe it," grumbled Dipper, "I get to see her twice a year and she keeps running off on me! It's like she's avoiding me!"

"Eh, give her time," shrugged Stan, "She's just letting everyone know she's around. King me, kid."

"I don't know, Stan," sighed Dipper, "Something feels wrong. It feels like she's hiding something from me..."

"Dipper!" called his father, "Door!"

Dipper sighed and got up, walking away. Waddles immediately bounced into his seat.

Dipper's father stood by the door. A young adult stood in the doorframe, tapping on a phone – Dipper recognised her immediately.

"Oh, hey Tambry," nodded Dipper, "Wendy's not in yet, she should be..."

"Found this on my lawn this morning," interrupted Tambry, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small camera, "Symbol look familiar to you?"

Dipper took the camera, turning it over. A stylised eye was etched into the back, superimposed over a triangle. The letters 'A.S.E.' were marked underneath.

"Bill Cipher?" exclaimed Dipper, "But...but it _can't_ be Bill, he's..."

"A.S.E.," noted Dipper's father, "That cache you found...All-Seeing Eye..."

"All-Seeing what now?" asked Tambry.

"Get Eddie," said Dipper, narrowing his eyes, "We're gonna take this thing apart and find out where it came from."

There was nothing like a good mystery to take Dipper's mind off personal problems.

* * *

KH LV EXW D VPDOOHU PDQ,  
EXW KH SLQHV IRU VRPHRQH WDOOHU,  
WKH QDPH RI WKLV UHG-KDWWHG FKDS  
VKRXOG FRPH WR HYHUB IDOOHU

CLJ ZWMHTARX FAI FQU NJWTW

* * *

AN: A little nod to CanDip there, but I don't intend for it to go anywhere. Just something for Dipper and Wendy to reminisce about, really.

Also, to make up for Robbie and Tambry getting no lines in the last one, they're getting a bigger role this time round.


	4. Chapter III: Watched

Just a short filler chapter today, but I'm sure it'll be alright.

Guest review replies;

**Zeditha:** I am considering other romances, specifically WenDip, but I'm not sure if I will or not at this point. We'll see. ;) As for writing, I'm sure you'd do alright, and the only way to get better is to give it a shot! Thanks for reading!

* * *

**Chapter III: Watched**

Dipper, Eddie, Wendy and Tambry sat around the kitchen table. Eddie had set up his laptop and managed to connect the camera to it via a USB cable. He was now trying to break through the encryption, but was not going as quickly as he might have liked.

"Ugh," he muttered, "You know, when I said I was good at decryption, I meant on paper."

"Dang it, Hohenbecker, you're supposed to be our all-purpose nerd," said Wendy, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow.

"No such thing," grumbled Eddie, "Hang on, I've got an IT manual in my bag – maybe there'll be a bypass in there."

He got up and walked out of the room. Tambry waited until he was gone before reaching into her bag and pulling out a USB.

"Let me try something," she said, plugging it in.

She opened up a folder and clicked on a file marked 'FOLEYBYPASS v.2017'. A small, DOS-like window opened – in the background, passwords began to type themselves into the encryption program.

"FoleyBypass," explained Tambry, "Got it from some guy on a forum I go to. Works every time."

"Wow," said Dipper, somewhat taken aback, "I never took you as a hacker."

"Everyone needs a hobby," shrugged Tambry.

"...alright," said Eddie, walking back into the room with a large book, "If we use this, we should crack the encryption by Thursday night."

"Already done, dude," said Wendy.

Eddie pursed his lips but said nothing, sitting down again.

A minute or so later, the program had been decrypted, and they were treated to a folder full of videos. All of them were time-stamped over the last few weeks. Dipper grabbed the mouse and clicked on the latest of them.

The video showed a black-and-white image of the front of Tambry's house. It looked like it had been taken early the previous night. Nothing particularly interesting was happening – Robbie and Tambry were sitting on the porch and talking. More interesting was the stream of text below it.

_JL: Still nothing interesting going on. Want me to switch off this camera for the night?_

_LC: Negative. Visual on subj. HEART to be maintained at all times until Bishop can act._

_JL: Wilco. Any word on SIX-FINGER or LLAMA?_

_LC: Former heavily suspected to be F. McGucket. No clue on the latter._

_JL: Roger, keep me informed._

_JL: Hold on, I'm getting a heat signal on radar, could be_

There was a clang as a bird collided with the camera. Everything dissolved into static.

"Well, that's gotta be embarrassing," muttered Wendy.

"I don't get this," said Dipper, furrowing his brow, "Why would they want to spy on us? And what do they mean by 'heart' and 'six-finger' and..."

He trailed off, his eyes widening.

"...the prophesy book," he breathed.

"What about it?" asked Tambry.

"It has an image etched into the cover," replied Dipper, "A wheel – it had Bill in the middle and all these symbols around it. I remember the author's symbol and the heart."

"Well, where is it?" quizzed Tambry.

"Under my bed in the attic," replied Dipper, "Come on!"

He leapt to his feet and ran to the stairs, leaping over Waddles on the way. Pelting upwards, he reached the door and pushed it open.

He skidded to a halt.

A lanky, brown-haired teenager was halfway out the door, the book under his arm. He jumped and turned around at the noise, and Dipper realised he knew this intruder.

"Harry Lonnighan?"

"P-Pines?!" blurted Harry, "I-uh-I-d-don't come near me!"

"What're you even _doing?_" asked Dipper, confused, "I haven't seen you since Mount Northwest."

"I...I...oh, forget it!"

He turned around, shoving Dipper out of the way as he made for the window in main attic. He pushed it open and jumped onto the balcony above the back porch. He jumped down and darted off into the forest.

Dipper narrowed his eyes, running after him. He crossed the main attic just as Wendy, Eddie and Tambry came up the stairs.

"Lonnighan has the book!" he shouted, racing to the window.

"_Principal _Lonnighan?" said Wendy.

"No, _Harry_ Lonnighan!" replied Dipper, "He's run for the woods! Wendy, try to cut him off! Eddie, with me!"

He leapt out the window, vaulting off the balcony and following Harry into the woods. Behind him, he heard a groan as Eddie jumped after him.

Dipper raced through the forest, ducking and weaving through the trees. Several years of doing this had made him somewhat apt at traversing the wild land – although he was nowhere near a professional. Ahead of him, he could just about see Harry struggling through the rough ground, slamming into branches and bushes in a desperate attempt to flee his pursuer.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, Harry!" shouted Dipper.

"It's ironic...isn't it, Pines?" breathed Eddie, following just behind Dipper.

"What is?" Dipper called back.

"Back at Shell Heights," said Eddie, "Harry...would've been chasing _us._ How...how the mighty have..."

"Not funny, Eddie," growled Dipper.

Up ahead, he saw Harry trip and fall – he had run into one of the steeper slopes in the Gravity Falls woods. Dipper braced himself and slid down the embankment, coming to a stop ahead of a rock face at the bottom. Before him, Harry had gotten to his feet and now quite literally had his back to the wall.

"Harry, whatever is going on, we can help you," implored Dipper, "Who'd you take the book for?"

"Why-why should I tell you?" demanded Harry, "You _ruined my life_, Pines! My father hasn't spoken to me in five years! I don't have a proper home, I don't have a family...and-and it's all because I was too much of a coward to kill you when I should have! Look at me, Pines! I'm a failure!"

Dipper couldn't help but mentally agree with Eddie's comment as he looked at the desperate, broken form of the one-time alpha of Shell Heights Middle School. How the mighty had fallen, indeed.

He offered his hand.

"You don't have to be," he offered, "I can help you."

Harry shook his head.

"Never," he scowled, "Besides, I already have someone to help me. Someone who _gets_ me, Pines. Someone who can get me my life back."

Dipper sighed and shook his head.

"I'm getting that book back, Harry," he said, crossing his arms, "It's two-on-one. Make it easy on yourself."

For the first time since Dipper had seen him, Harry smiled. It was a broken, slightly crazed grin, but it was a grin nonetheless.

"That it is, Pines, that it is," he nodded, "Two against one."

"I'm sorry, Pines. I really am."

Dipper was wracked with a sudden burst of pain as electricity flowed through him. He screamed and fell to the ground, twitching and writhing. His vision swam and the edges turned dark.

He could just make out Eddie leaning over him, a taser-like device in his hand.

"It's for your own protection," he sighed, "You'll understand soon."

He reached into his pocket and took out a small radio.

"This is Bishop to the All-Seeing Eye," he said, "We have Pine Tree and the book and are heading back to base..."

Dipper's vision faded away and he passed out.

* * *

ZKDW LV WKH VXUQDPH RI WKH YRLFH DFWRU ZKR SODBV PDQOB GDQ

BME, I NGDS UCZ OAZ WT UQPDRK QRHIE. NUC ES GW FROBQO.

* * *

AN: Whenever I say a chapter is filler, I'm lying. Just a heads up for future reference. :P


	5. Chapter IV: The Missing Dipper

Missing one Dipper. If found, return to the Mystery Shack, 618 Gopher Road, Gravity Falls. No rewards offered. Contact Stanford Pines.

Guest review replies;

**Guest:** Oh, there's more coming, let me tell you. ;) Thanks for reading.

**Zeditha:** Yeah, I probably could have made it somewhat less obvious. :| Also, funny you should mention that - the absence of new episodes is why the sequel came so quickly. :D Thanks for the review!

**BillCipher5:** Wow, that's a lot of Gs. Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

**Chapter IV: The Missing Dipper**

It was just after midday when Wendy returned to the Mystery Shack. She felt rather dejected that Harry had managed to get past her – after all, her only job had been to cut off his escape. Still, there was the hope that Dipper and Eddie had managed to catch him.

She wiped her forehead of sweat as she walked across the yard, passing Soos on the way. The handyman was hard at work on the old car – he was fixing a large new engine into the hood. By the looks of it, the engine had never been designed for use in cars.

"Hey, Soos," she called, "Did Dipper come back this way?"

"Didn't see him, dude," shrugged Soos, looking up from his work, "Could've come round the front, though."

"I'll go check," nodded Wendy.

She glanced at the engine.

"You sure that thing's road legal?" she asked.

"Eh," said Soos, "If it's good enough for the Sherman tank, it's good enough for me."

Wendy raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

She walked into the Shack through the back door, heading straight for the kitchen. Tambry was sitting at the table, tapping at her phone in boredom. There was no sign of Dipper, Eddie or Harry.

"They still not back?" quizzed Wendy.

"Nope," replied Tambry, "Thought they'd be with you."

Wendy furrowed her brow with concern.

"Okay, that's weird," she said, "Maybe he's still trying to catch Harry?"

"What about Harry? Did that little twerp show up again?"

Stan walked into the room, planting himself down next to Tambry. She winced and moved over.

"He tried to steal the Child of Destiny book," explained Wendy, "Dipper and Eddie went after him."

"And how long ago was this?" asked Stan.

"About an hour ago," replied Tambry.

Stan shrugged.

"He'll be fine," he said, "He's probably just making sure that punk learns not to mess with the Mystery Shack!"

He grinned and placed his fist in his hand.

"Stan?" Dipper's father called wearily from the living room, "Could you not encourage my son to seek revenge on others?"

"Dog eat dog world, Simon!" Stan called back, "Kid's gotta be ready!"

"He beat a demon," retorted Dipper's father, "I think he'll be fine."

Stan chuckled.

"I don't know, Stan," said Wendy, crossing her arms, "Something doesn't sit right about all this – not after that cache and the camera..."

"Tell you what," interrupted Stan, "If he's not back by the time Mabel gets home, I'll start worrying. Until then, I reckon Dipper can handle himself."

He took a swig of Pitt Cola, earning him a dirty look from Tambry.

"That was _mine_, Mr. Pines."

"Came from my fridge," replied Stan, "Mine now."

Wendy shook her head and walked out of the room, Tambry following.

"Something just isn't right, Tams," she said, walking into the break room, "I can feel it."

The break room had temporarily been converted into a guest room for Mabel and Eddie (Dipper's father had been exiled to the room where they'd found the wax figures so long ago). Apart from the couch being set up as a bed and the sleeping bag on the floor, everything was about the same as it always was – including a set of lounge chairs Soos had found at a car boot sale last winter. Wendy set herself down in one, scratching her chin.

"Eh, Stan's probably right," said Tambry, sitting in the other chair, "Dipper can handle himself, Wen. Just chill out."

She looked up from her phone for a moment, glancing at the closet.

"Heh, that kid brought a suit with him," she noted.

"What?"

Wendy looked up. She could just about make out a black suit sleeve through the ajar closet door.

"Why would you bring a suit to a place like this?" she asked, "It's not like he's gonna..."

A light bulb went off in her head as she suddenly remembered the black suits that had been stored in the cache.

"No," she said, shaking her head, "He _couldn't_ be..."

She got up and walked over tho the closet, opening it up and grabbing the suit jacket. For the most part, it was entirely nondescript, save for a small marking on the back tag – ALL-SEEING EYE.

"Oh my god," she whispered, "Whoever the All-Seeing Eye are, Eddie's working for them."

A bolt of fear went through her.

"...and Dipper's alone with him," she remembered.

"So..._he_ spied on my house?" asked Tambry, slightly disbelievingly.

Wendy pulled the suit jacket off its peg and ran for the door.

"Stan!" she shouted, "We've got a problem!"

* * *

The suit jacket was laid on the table. Stan paced around the table – Wendy, Soos, Tambry and Dipper's father were seated, the latter with his head in his hands.

"He can't be a traitor, Wendy," he sighed, "He's a family friend. I mean, sure, he and Dipper had issues, but he's always been so...unthreatening. Quiet."

"It's always the people you least expect, dude," sighed Soos, shaking his head.

"Well I'm not gonna stand for this," snapped Stan, a dark scowl crossing his face, "If he's laid so much as a _finger_ on Dipper, I'm gonna tear his..."

The front door was flung open. Mabel ran inside – she looked extremely anxious and worried.

"Soos told me Dipper was missing!" she exclaimed, "What happened? Why aren't we looking for him?"

"We're making a plan, Mabes," reassured her father, "Don't worry, we'll find him."

"And then we make Hohenbecker pay," snarled Stan.

"Eddie?" quizzed Mabel, "What did he do?"

Wendy handed her the suit jacket, explaining what had happened with the camera and Harry Lonnighan. As she told her story, she couldn't help but notice something in Mabel's eyes – she didn't know what it was, but she guessed it was betrayal.

"Eddie betrayed us?" she asked.

"We think so," replied Tambry.

Mabel stared into the distance for a moment. Nervously, she licked her lips.

"M-maybe he didn't betray him?" she stammered, "Maybe something else happened here?"

"Sorry, Mabel," sighed Dipper's father, "The evidence is against him."

"Maybe she's got a point, dudes," shrugged Soos, "Don't judge until we find out exactly what happens, huh?"

Stan shot him a dirty look.

"Alright," he said, "We've got a lot of ground to cover, so we're gonna need to split into teams."

"Tambry," asked Wendy, "Can you call the guys? We're gonna need as many hands as we can get here."

"Nate and Lee are working," replied Tambry, "But I think I can get Robbie and Thompson on board."

"Do it."

Tambry nodded, tapping on her phone as she began to text their friends.

"Good," said Stan, "Simon, Mabel, you two are gonna stick with me. Soos, Wendy, you two go out and check wherever the heck it is you go when you're monster hunting and junk. Purple-hair..."

"Tambry."

"I don't care, just wait here until your friends get here, then scope out the town," finished Stan, "Nobody rests until we find Dipper. Any questions?"

Soos raised his hand.

"Soos."

"Can we call this Operation Super-Awesome?" asked Soos.

"No," replied Stan, bluntly.

Soos lowered his arm, dejected.

"Alright, people," growled Stan, "Let's roll."

* * *

"...he's waking up."

Dipper opened his eyes, blinking and wincing at the light. He was in a small, bright room, trapped in a glass cage at the centre. A couple of black-suited individuals looked in on him – Eddie was in front of them.

"Pines," nodded Eddie.

"What...where am I?" wheezed Dipper, forcing himself to sit up.

"Outpost 618, All-Seeing Eye," replied Eddie, "Main headquarters for overwatch of the Pacific Northwest."

Dipper rubbed his eyes. He noticed that Eddie had changed into a black suit of his own.

"You're a member of the All-Seeing Eye?" asked Dipper, "But..._why?_ And why hide it from us?"

"Information on our organisation is on a strictly need-to-know basis," snapped one of the agents – a short African-American woman with shoulder-length black hair.

"Yes, thank you Agent Collins," nodded Eddie, "Need-to-know. It's for your own protection, Pines."

"Own protection?" demanded Dipper, "You locked me in a cage, Eddie! Protection doesn't work like that!"

"It does," replied Eddie, "We're keeping you away from our chief ally. If he could lay his hands on you..."

"I think he'd understand if he saw me for himself, Agent Hohenbecker."

Dipper's eyes widened. He recognised that voice.

The agents parted, making way for a rotund teenager, pale-skinned and with a large pompadour. He wore a sky-blue suit over a black shirt and white tie, an American flag label over his right breast. Blue eyes gazed on Dipper with gleeful malevolence.

Gideon Charles Gleeful smirked as he crossed his arms, looking over his captive.

"Why, if it ain't Dipper Pines," he sneered, "It's been a _long time_."

"You handed me over to _Gideon?!_" exclaimed Dipper, glaring at Eddie.

"Mr. Gleeful is an ally of convenience, Mr. Pines," said Agent Collins, "He does not work for the All-Seeing Eye and had no jurisdiction over its captives – whether he thinks he does or not."

"But I can talk to ya, Dipper," said Gideon, leaning against the glass, "We can have a nice friendly chat."

He turned to the agents.

"Gimme five, would ya kindly?" he asked.

Reluctantly, the agents filed out of the room. Eddie glanced back at Dipper.

"Just _go_, Hohenbecker," said Dipper, bowing his head.

Eddie nodded and walked away. The door was closed behind him.

"Let me make this clear to ya, Dipper," snarled Gideon, eyes narrowing, "The only reason I'm with these black-suited bozos is to get even. Soon as they're not useful anymore, I'm dumpin' 'em and goin' my own merry way."

"Let me guess," nodded Dipper, "You're gonna take the Shack, kill me and force Mabel to be your girlfriend. Get over it, Gideon, it's been five years."

"Five years too long," said Gideon, "And I've always been a go-getter – never settlin' for second best. I'll get what I want, you mark my words."

He pressed his face against the glass.

"This time tomorrow, Dipper," he threatened, "I'm gonna have your head on a silver platter."

He turned around, heading for the door.

"So y'all have yourself some fun in there," he said flippantly, "Have a nice rest, try out the meatloaf – I hear it's delectable! I'll see ya bright and early tomorrow. Toodles!"

He grinned as he left the room, closing the door behind him.

Dipper glared at the closed door before sighing and sitting back against the glass.

"No chance of snacks and a colouring book, guys?" he said dryly.

There was a long silence.

"No, didn't think so," he grumbled.

* * *

DFFRUGLQJ WR WKH KDQG WKDW URFNV WKH PDEHO, QDWH'V ODVW QDPH LV SRVVLEOB ZKDW?

NWOXVB LGK HSX HZW LLSTGN SJX TOJ GVH DXL SJX AC PRL

* * *

AN: Gideon! Yaaay?


	6. Chapter V: Trust No One

I would like to apologise in advance to people studying business at college. The opinions expressed by certain Grunkles in this story are not my own.

Guest review replies;

**EllaShootingStar:** Aw, thanks for that! :D Warms the heart, it does. Glad you like it!

**Tazmanian Devil:** Not in any way, no. Thanks for reading!

**Zeditha:** I know, right? I almost feel like writing him a villain song. Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

**Chapter V: Trust No One**

The sun was settling, but Wendy was still nowhere near finding Dipper. She leaned against a tree, anxiously looking at her watch, as Soos grilled one of the locals.

"C'mon, dude, you sure you didn't kidnap him?" asked Soos.

"Why would we want the hat guy?" demanded Jeff, crossing his arms, "We want _Mabel_, not him. He cannot be gnome queen."

He took off his hat and scratched his head.

"At least I don't _think_ he can," he mused, "Are humans like seahorses?"

"No."

"Dang it."

Wendy sighed and wandered off into the trees as Jeff and Soos continued to argue. Mentally, she was kicking herself – the more she thought about it, the more she realised that Eddie had been acting strangely ever since he'd arrived. She'd never noticed until now the way he'd reacted to Dipper's map, the way he had warned Dipper about 'the people you least expect' and his reaction to Tambry hacking the camera. Now that she had realised, it was too late – for all she knew, Dipper could be dead.

She shook her head. She was not giving up hope now.

"...alright, camera's back up. Don't see why we need to watch gnomes, of all things."

"Precaution, Agent Jones – the gnomes are a powerful race."

"Ha! Yeah, right!"

Wendy perked up, hearing voices through the trees ahead. She whispered back to Soos, calling him over before creeping through the woods. Before long, she had found the source of the voices.

Two black-suited agents, a man and a woman, were in a small clearing, the man climbing down from a tree. The man jumped down and they began to walk away down a rugged track.

"MiBs," whispered Wendy, "I'm gonna follow them. Soos, go back for the pickup – I'll call when I know where they came from."

"Got it, dude," nodded Soos, "Good luck."

He began to walk back towards the Shack. Wendy looked up at the trees above.

"Well," she shrugged, "Here goes nothing."

She reached up, grabbing a branch as she climbed onto a tree. Carefully, she navigated the branches from one tree to another – slowly first, but faster and faster as she got more into her movements.

Having a lumberjack family had its advantages. Tree-climbing skills was one of them.

Down below, the agents strolled down the path, completely unaware of the young woman following them. That suited Wendy just fine.

* * *

Stan, Mabel and her father walked through the trees. Night had fallen, and Stan was now using a torch to light their way. Both Mabel and her father looked forlorn – the latter was lamenting his situation, much to Stan's annoyance.

"...he was supposed to be safe out here," muttered Dipper's father, "Or at very least, safer then he would've been around Lonnighan! Why did I leave him here? Why..."

"Simon, will you please shut up?" grunted Stan, "It's not your fault, but if you don't stop with the 'woe is me' monologue I'm gonna kick your..."

"I'm his father, Stan!" exclaimed Dipper's father, "I'm supposed to look after him!"

"And you _did_," replied Stan, "Sending him to Gravity Falls was the best thing that could've happened to him. You saw the kid in Piedmont, didn't you? He was suffocating!"

"I know, but...but I thought he'd only need a few years here," replied Dipper's father, "Until he was old enough that Lonnighan couldn't get at him. And then..."

"And then what?" demanded Stan, "College and a white-collar job? Can you see Dipper working in an office?"

"I work in an office," shrugged Dipper's father, "I enjoy it."

"That's because you're _boring_," shrugged Mabel.

"I am _not_ boring!" retorted her father.

"Yes you are," said Stan.

"Look, you can't _not_ go to college these days, Stan," said Dipper's father, "Not unless you wanna work in a factory all your life!"

"Simon, what's Dipper gonna study in college?" asked Stan.

"I was thinking business," shrugged Dipper's father.

"Business?" exclaimed Stan, "Are you _kidding?_"

"It's a good all-round degree, opens a lot of doors..."

"It's what you do when you don't care what your diploma actually says!" replied Stan, "If you're gonna force Dipper to go to college, at least get him to do something he likes!"

"...English?"

Stan facepalmed and Mabel shook her head.

"Okay, maybe not English," nodded Dipper's father, "Maybe Math or Science or Poetry or Clarinets..."

"Clarinets isn't a degree, dad," reminded Mabel, "We gotta get him into something _good_, like crypto..."

"How about we let the kid decide if he wants to go or not?" demanded Stan, "It's his life! If he wants to drive around the country finding the paranormal, I say let him. Gets him outta the house..."

"I don't want him going around the country on his own," replied Dipper's father, "There's...there's weird people out there."

"There's weird people here," said Stan, "Just look at Toby."

"He doesn't even have a car!" reminded Dipper's father.

"I know places to get 'em cheap," replied Stan, "Not _legally_, but..."

"Just...maybe if there was somebody with him," sighed Dipper's father, "Someone to back him up. Just...not alone. My foot's down, Stan."

"I don't care," replied Stan, "He should be able to do what he wants, not what you want him to."

He looked down at Mabel.

"You've been pretty quiet there, Mabel," he noted, "Don't worry. We'll punch Eddie in the face and get Dipper back."

"Yeah," sighed Mabel, looking at her feet, "I guess we will."

"That's the spirit," grinned Stan, "Punching teenagers, what a way to spend a ni-"

_Thwack._

Stan felt a sharp pain against the back of his head, and then there was nothing.

* * *

"Mr. Pines, you have a visitor."

Dipper glared at the agent leaning in the door (Collins, wasn't it?), crossing his arms.

"If it's Gideon, tell him I'm asleep," he snapped.

"It isn't Mr. Gleeful," replied Agent Collins, her tone testy, "This man is much more important."

She stepped aside, letting the man in.

The gentleman that entered was old and grey and required a walking stick. He wore a tweed jacket over a white shirt and green tie, with light brown trousers over brown leather shoes. He looked at Dipper through a large pair of glasses – Dipper realised he recognised this man.

"That's...you're..."

"Stanley Pines," nodded Stanley, "Your grandfather. And may I say it is wonderful to see you, Dipper."

"You _can't_ be Stanley," snapped Dipper, "He fell into the portal."

"I did," said Stanley, "And then I fell out again. And while I was in there, I saw things. Things you couldn't possibly imagine."

He limped up to Dipper, reaching into his jacket as he did. Dipper's eyes widened as he pulled out the Children of Destiny book.

"I'll admit, I found working with Gleeful and Lonnighan fairly distasteful," he sighed, "But they proved useful. Now, Dipper, you and I can get to business."

He opened the book to the final page. Dipper's eyebrow raised as he read a list of names. He could see his and Wendy's names on the list, but he didn't recognise any of the others.

"What's this?" he asked.

"A list of Children of Destiny," replied Stanley, "Scattered all around the world! You and I are going to find them, Dipper – for the good of mankind."

"Why do we need to find them?" demanded Dipper.

"I've seen what the Children of Destiny can do, Dipper," said Stanley, "When they are truly unleashed. We need to help them, to give them direction – to save them from themselves."

"But...Children of Destiny is just a label, isn't it?" quizzed Dipper, "I mean, Wendy and me, we don't have any special powers. We're just...prophesy subjects, I guess."

"Wendy?" replied Stanley, "The Corduroy girl?"

"...aaaaaand now you know who she is," muttered Dipper, "Good job, Dipper, good job."

"We digress, Dipper," snapped Stanley, "The Children of Destiny are far more then prophesy subjects! I have seen legends and warnings in the ether between worlds! Tell me, boy, have you ever had anything unusual happen around you?"

"Is that a trick question?" asked Dipper, his tone unimpressed.

"Has anybody ever noticed strange things about you?" said Stanley.

Dipper opened his mouth to respond when he suddenly remembered something from long ago.

_"__He is not convulsing! He is seeking attention and I will not let him get away with it! Mr. Pines, open your eyes when I'm talking to you!"_

_Dipper opened his eyes._

_Mr. Vought paled, dropping Dipper back into his chair. He stepped backward._

_"__M-my god, Pines, your eyes," he stammered._

"Before I came back to Gravity Falls," said Dipper, "Mr. Vought said there was something wrong with my eyes. I thought it was just the vision...but it wasn't, was it?"

"How were you feeling when that happened, Dipper?" asked Stanley.

Dipper shook his head.

"Afraid," he replied, "More afraid then I'd ever been."

"The strong emotional reaction brought out a glimmer of your capability," nodded Stanley, "Imagine if it had happened at another time – when you were angry or depressed! You could have annihilated Vought on the spot!"

"Gee, that would've been a shame," muttered Dipper.

Stanley scowled.

"This is no laughing matter, Dipper!" he shouted, "We have dozens of Children of Destiny going around with vaguely defined power we cannot understand, and which could be activated at any time! We need to get them off the streets and..."

"_Off the streets?_" repeated Dipper, "You mean kidnap them?"

"It is for their betterment and ours," replied Stanley, "You'll understand in time, Dipper. Just like Eddie did. Just like Agent One did."

"Agent One?"

"Agent One," nodded Stanley, "The agent assigned to watch you. The one you and Stanford would least suspect."

The PA system suddenly spoke up.

_"__Agent One has returned with the Pines Family, sir."_

"The Pines family?" repeated Dipper, "Then that means...oh my god, Stan! _Mabel!_"

He slammed his fist against the glass.

"You let them go, Stanley!" he thundered, "You let 'em go _right now..._"

"I'm sorry, Dipper," replied Stanley, "I really, really am."

* * *

Wendy hung from an oak tree over the mouth of a cave, watching as the agents walked inside. Behind them, three more agents walked towards the cave, carrying two unconscious forms in a wheelbarrow.

"Huh, well that's low tech," muttered Wendy.

She looked down at the lead agent. Her eyes widened.

"No," she breathed, "It _can't be..._"

* * *

"Sorry?" scowled Dipper, "Yeah, you're gonna be. If you harm _one_ hair on their heads, I swear I'm gonna..."

"I wouldn't harm one of my best agents, Dipper," replied Stanley.

Dipper blinked.

"What?"

"Don't you think it's a bit odd," replied Stanley, "That they came right when we did?"

Dipper stepped back, his face paling.

"No," he whispered, "No...I won't believe it. Anything but that, anything..."

"_Agent One is requesting entry into the prisoner chamber._"

"Let 'em in," nodded Stanley.

He looked up at Dipper.

"If you makes you feel any better," he said solemnly, "It's for your own protection."

"Please, tell me it's not her," begged Dipper, "_Anything_ but that, please! Please!"

The door opened. Agent One walked into the room, head bowed. Dipper's jaw slackened and his eyes began to water.

"...Mabel," he croaked, "But..._why?_"

Mabel refused to look up at her brother, keeping her eyes covered by her hair.

"I'm sorry, bro," she replied, "I had no choice."

* * *

DOHA KLUVFK EDVHG ELOO'V YRLFH RQ ZKLFK DFWRU (VXUQDPH RQOB)?

OM AQA MJNOL XYOGS. DFR JHD FRT YPYFQUD.

* * *

AN: GASP

Also, I find Stanley is improved if you read his lines in Christopher Lloyd's voice.


	7. Chapter VI: Family Reunion

The third scene in this chapter is one I've been waiting to do since I started All-Seeing Eye, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. :)

Guest review replies;

**Zeditha:** So do I! :D It's what keeps me reading a story. And don't worry about it, I enjoy answering reviews, so it's no problem. Thanks for reading!

* * *

**Chapter VI: Family Reunion**

Dipper stared, his throat hoarse, wishing he was anywhere but here. The old man in front of him looked solemnly back at him, Mabel by his side.

"It's for your own good, Dipper," said Stanley, "Your sister understands that. We're just trying to keep you safe and under control."

"You could hurt yourself, bro," nodded Mabel, her voice low and cracking slightly, "The All-Seeing Eye can help you."

Dipper said nothing.

"All we need in return," added Stanley, "Is for you to read me this list. To allow us to help others like yourself. Do you understand, Dipper?"

He opened the book again. Dipper stared at the contents, going over them in his head.

"What do you say?" asked Mabel.

Dipper looked up from the book.

"Mabel, whatever these people are telling you, they're lying," he said.

He turned to Stanley.

"And _you_," he added, "You can go to hell. I'm not betraying these people."

Stanley narrowed his eyes.

"I want nothing but the best for you, Dipper," he replied, "I'll give you tonight to think about it – I have someone else to speak to today."

He turned around, heading for the door.

"Dipper, I..." began Mabel.

Dipper shook his head.

"I'm sorry," he replied, "I...not now. Just...leave me be, alright?"

Mabel's lip seemed to quiver slightly as she turned to walk away. Dipper watched her leave, before sighing heavily and slumping against the wall of his glass cage. His mind ran with thoughts and feelings – Mabel was supposed to be his twin and his dearest friend, and to betray him like this...

For the first time in many years, Dipper cried himself to sleep.

* * *

It was one of those utterly stupid non-plans that you tended to have when there was too much at stake to stop and think. But there was no other option, so Wendy had elected to take the only one available – walk right in the All-Seeing Eye's front door.

Five perfectly non-descript Men in Black – in her mind, Wendy imagined them to be the sorts who went by Smith or Jones – were standing guard by an open steel door just beyond the mouth of the cave. They immediately perked up when they saw her, and one stepped forward.

"Restricted area, ma'am, please turn around," he drawled.

"Are visiting hours still open?" asked Wendy, her tone sardonic, "I'm here to see a friend."

"We cannot confirm or deny the whereabouts of Dipper Pines, ma'am," said the agent.

"I don't remember saying his name," said Wendy, smirking.

"Oh, nice going, Long," growled another agent, shooting the first agent a dark glare.

"So," asked Wendy, "Are you gonna let me in or am I gonna invite myself in?"

Agent Long raised an eyebrow, reaching into his jacket. He and his fellow agents produced thin, black expandable batons. Slowly, they began to advance on Wendy.

"Alright, ma'am, last chance," said Agent Long, leaning in close to the intruder, "It's just one girl against five highly trained secret agents. Who do you really think's gonna come off be-"

There was a loud thump as Wendy punched him across the face. He recoiled, but collected himself.

"Oh, yeah, catch me while I'm talking," he sneered, "Not gonna fall for that one tw-"

There was a loud thump as Wendy punched him across the face again. This time, Long fell to the ground, dazed and winded.

"...okay, point taken," he muttered.

Wendy ducked down and snatched his baton, just as a second agent threw himself at her. She stayed down, slipping under the swing of his baton before retaliating with her own baton, slamming it into his chin and flipping him onto his back. She stamped on his chest to ensure he stayed down before grabbing the baton of a third agent mid-swing – she pulled it out of his hand and tripped him, causing him to land hard on his face.

The fourth and fifth agent, realising that trying to take Wendy alone was a bad idea, charged her from both sides. Wendy dodged their charges, sending them slamming into each other – as they fell back from the impact, she swung both batons, one after the other, into their respective faces, knocking them both out.

She dusted her hands as she looked down at the unconscious agents.

"Just one girl against five highly trained secret agents," she said, "Might wanna think about that, man."

She walked into the base, stopping only to frisk Agent Long for a key-card.

* * *

"I keep telling you people!" snapped Stan, "I'm not saying anything until I see a lawyer!"

Stan was handcuffed to a table in a small interrogation room that was lit only by a dim lamp. He was somewhat dishevelled from his capture – he had lost his fez – but it had done nothing to damage his temper.

"If you want me to talk about Columbia, you can forget it!" Stan continued to rant, "Sworn to secrecy, suckers! I'll never betray..."

The door opened. Stan's eyes widened.

"...that's not possible," he said, flatly.

"It is, Stanford, it is," replied Stanley.

Stan looked at his brother, his face unreadable, as he sat down across from him. There was a long silence.

"So," said Stanley, "How's the Shack?"

"That's it?" snapped Stan.

"Stanford?"

"_That's it?!_" repeated Stan, trying to rise to his feet and straining against the cuffs, "_Thirty years,_ and that's what you open with?!"

"What am I supposed to say, Stanford?" demanded Stanley, "How are things? Sorry I fell into a portal between worlds? This isn't the sort of conversation you just start..."

"Would it have killed you to let me know you were safe?" demanded Stan, "Do you know what I went through! After I lost you and McGucket I was alone for _years!_ That'll do things to a man's psyche!"

"What do you do with yourself?" asked Stanley.

"Scam rubes for easy money."

"You haven't changed, Stanford."

Stanley sighed and leaned forward.

"I suppose you have questions about my involvement with the All-Seeing Eye?" he asked.

"Yeah," nodded Stan, narrowing his eyes, "What did you do to Dipper and what did you tell Mabel? Because if you've hurt either of them I'm gonna kill you."

"Dipper is unharmed," replied Stanley, "And Mabel is working for us on her own free will. I would appreciate it if you didn't threaten your family..."

"_Family?_" exclaimed Stan, "_Family? _You don't know the meaning of the word, Stanley!"

"And you do?!" retorted Stanley, jumping to his feet as he raised his voice, "Really? Because it was _your_ fault that I ended up in that portal! It was _your_ fault McGucket went insane! It was _your_ fault Simon grew up without a father! All because you couldn't give up your idiotic portal quest! Do you understand that?!"

"Understand it?" sighed Stan, looking at his feet, "Stanley, I've had to live with that for thirty years."

Stanley's gaze softened as he looked down on his twin.

"I did what I could for Simon, but he never saw me as a father figure," Stan continued, "He left to live with his mom as soon as he could. It was just me, alone, for twenty years. Heck, if it weren't for Soos and the kids, I'd probably have given up years ago."

He looked back up at Stanley, his face contorting into a snarl.

"So don't tell me," he growled, "That I don't understand."

There was a long silence.

"Maybe you have changed," nodded Stanley, "There's only one way to find out."

He sat back down.

"Your great-nephew, as I'm sure you're aware, is a Child of Destiny," he explained, "As is your cashier, Ms...Corduroy, wasn't it?"

"Yep," said Stan, "You should go meet her dad. You'd like him, he's the sort of guy who can give you what you deserve..."

"...so she _is_ Daniel's daughter, then," said Stanley, scratching his chin, "Still likes punching things, does he?"

He shook his head.

"I digress," he continued, "As Children of Destiny, Dipper and Wendy possess power they do not understand. We at the All-Seeing Eye think we can help them..."

"...no you don't," interrupted Stan, "You want to _suppress_ them. You're scared of what you don't understand. Otherwise you wouldn't have kidnapped Dipper. You'd have sent someone over to help him or something."

"Stanford, we can't attract attention..."

"So sending an agent to keep an eye on him," said Stan, his tone incredulous, "Attracts less attention than _lifting him off the streets?_ Well, you could've fooled me, Stanley."

"Stanford, all I want you to do is..." began Stanley.

"...join you," finished Stan, "No. _Never._ Suck a lemon, Stanley, I won't go against my family."

"You won't?" demanded Stanley, "Then what am I, Stanford? Am I not your brother?"

"I lost my brother back in '82," replied Stan, "As far as I'm concerned, he's still gone."

He leaned in, eyes narrowed.

"Now let my family go," he ordered, "Or I'll tear you down."

Stanley rolled his eyes as he got to his feet.

"I'd like to see you _try_, Stanford," he scoffed.

He walked away, leaving Stan alone in the dark room.

* * *

Eddie sat in the small common room, reading a newspaper and trying to forget the events of the day. Across from him, he could see Gideon and Harry sitting at the table, the former wolfing down a plate of biscuits as he spoke.

"These All-Seeing Eye bozos," sniffed Gideon, "They're not as secret as they think they are, Harry. If they really cared about helpin' CoDs, don't ya think they'd have started with someone who didn't know they were one? Someone who really did need help?"

"I...I guess so," shrugged Harry.

"I know so," continued Gideon, "There was this one fella, few years back. Told everyone he'd been to this alternate dimension while drownin'. Shrinks thought he was crazy, but I double-checked the list n' he was on it."

"What list?" asked Harry.

"The index, boy! I photocopied it before I went to prison," explained Gideon, "'Course, I'm not an idiot like Dipper Pines is so I put it back when I was done."

"You read the Children of Destiny book?" exclaimed Harry, "But then...that means..."

"It's easy to find us, if ya put your mind to it," shrugged Gideon, "We're the sorts who attract the weird stuff. Call it...heh, well, call it destiny."

Eddie's eyes widened as he realised what Gideon was saying. He raised his newspaper slightly to obscure the fact that he was listening in on the conversation.

"And of course, after I went to prison," continued Gideon, "I had all the time in the world to read up on my copies and cross-ref that with the papers. It's amazin' how many strange things happen that the mouth-breathers that make up the public miss."

"So, how many are there?" asked Harry.

"No more than a hundred, about twenty in the US," shrugged Gideon, "I can't remember all of the ones stateside, but I remember a few – myself and Dipper, of course, and the freaky lumberjack girl, for a start. There was that other guy I mentioned...a big-headed professor's son...a Fenton, of course, those lunatics are magnets for this sort of thing..."

He shook his head.

"Point is," he continued, "The ASE don't wanna help the Children of Destiny. They wanna kill 'em – just like they tried to wipe out the dwarves and the wendigos way back when. Once they're done with our friend Dipper, they'll take him out back and..."

Gideon made the image of a gun with his fingers. Eddie gulped.

"Now _me_, on the other hand," continued Gideon, "I got different plans. Pines is still dead whether or not I get him or the ASE get him, but if _I_ get him, I can get things out of him. And more to the point, _you_ can get revenge."

Harry nodded solemnly.

"Well, let's get outta here," nodded Gideon, "Hopefully that idiot father of mine will have done what I asked him."

He burped, got to his feet and walked away, Harry following him like a lost puppy.

Eddie lowered the newspaper and wiped some sweat from his brow. He tried to tell himself that Gideon couldn't be trusted, but the more he thought, the more he realised that what the rotund ex-con had said about the All-Seeing Eye made sense.

"I'm gonna regret this," muttered Eddie, getting to his feet and heading to Dipper's cell.

* * *

ZKLFK HSLVRGH RI JUDYLWB IDOOV HQGV ZLWK D VHW RI EXVLQHVV SLJ PHPHV?

LBQ BMEAW JNECXK MJ JSX PGHHQRKESRND. VGF XYNSYTZ UZK GIEWMF, AN IUPC OXEAV NASIKDIV.

* * *

AN: Consider this a late Christmas present. Merry Christmas to you all!

I'm going to be away for the weekend, so the next one may be a little late. I don't know at the moment, we'll see.


	8. Chapter VII: The Great Escape

I'll just write a little bit before bed, he said. I won't stay up too late, he said.

* * *

**Chapter VII: The Great Escape**

"They must've built this place years ago," Wendy whispered to herself.

The All-Seeing Eye's base wasn't particularly big, but it was quite advanced. It consisted of sterile white hallways connecting several small chambers – laboratories, holding cells, surveillance centres, a motor pool and even a break room – all of which they had helpfully mapped on the wall behind the entrance. Wendy's finger fell on the room on the right-hand side of the map – _Special Holding Cells_.

"That must be where they're holding him," said Wendy, "Something tells me they're not gonna let me walk right in..."

She heard footsteps from around the corner and ducked behind the wall. At the end of the corridor, a female agent strolled into view, whistling as she walked along.

Wendy smirked and cracked her knuckles.

* * *

"Any luck with those cuffs?" asked Dipper's father.

Stan grunted as he rubbed his cuffs against his cell door. He had been taken back to a nondescript cell block after his interview, right across from his nephew. He was now trying to wear down the lock, but it wasn't working.

"Don't rush me, Simon," he growled, "I'll get this."

Dipper's father sighed and sat down, putting his head in his hands.

"God," he sighed, "We're all gonna die here, and the last things I ever said to my children were arguments about college. I am such a..."

"Simon, if you don't have anything useful to say, shut up," grunted Stan.

The door to the corridor opened, and Eddie Hohenbecker ran into the room. He jammed a key into Stan's cell.

"I am such an idiot, I am _such_ an idiot, I am so sorry about this," he said, frantically unlocking Stan's cell, "I thought they could be trusted but they're working with-"

He was cut off as Stan punched him in the face with his cuffed fists.

"...I deserved that," Eddie muttered weakly as he pulled himself off the ground.

He wiped his nose of a trace of blood before working on unlocking Stan's cuffs. He ducked under a second punch as he headed over to Dipper's father's cell.

"I know you think I'm a traitor, and you're right," he explained as he freed Dipper's father, "But Director Pines convinced Mabel and I that the All-Seeing Eye would help him. I should've known something was wrong when he hired Gideon and Lonnighan and hid it from Mabel, I am _so stupid_..."

"Yeah, you are," grunted Stan, "Where's the kids?"

"I'll get them next," replied Eddie, "There are two spare suits in the locker at the other end of the room – put 'em on and try to be discreet. I'll meet you back at the Shack with Dipper and Mabel..."

"Not a chance," snapped Stan, "I don't trust you, so we go together or we don't go at all."

"Director Pines' office is right next door to Pines' cell," said Eddie, "Most of the people on base are dumb muscle or research guys, but he's...different. Better."

"Plus he's your brother, so he'll recognise you," shrugged Dipper's father.

"You're taking this jerk's side, Simon?" demanded Stan.

"He's our best option, Stan, and you know it," shrugged Dipper's father.

Stan narrowed his eyes.

"I am not leaving this base until I know Dipper is out," he said, crossing his arms.

"Fine!" snapped Eddie, reaching into his jacket and throwing Stan an earpiece, "I'll let you know as soon as I have him. Just get to the motor pool!"

Stan sighed and nodded.

"If you're lying to us again, I'll strangle you," he threatened.

"Noted," nodded Eddie, heading for the door, "Get changed and go!"

* * *

Mabel walked down the corridor, hands in her pockets as she thought glumly over the day's events.

She had never intended to hurt Dipper – far from it. She had wanted to save him, from himself if necessary. She remembered what Stanley had told her in the Principal's office as if it were yesterday.

_"__Mabel, Dipper is on a path that will lead to his own destruction. I can help him – but I will need your assistance. You know him, Mabel – that makes you our most valuable potential ally..."_

She thought back over the nice little talks in school officers and in parks around Piedmont and Oakland, occasionally joined by Eddie. Stanley had never seemed to be anything other than honest – somewhat damaged, certainly, but honest. What he'd told Mabel made sense, and was deeply terrifying if true...

'If true' being the key words.

She shook her head and forced her reservations down. This had to happen. If Dipper ended up hurting himself because of her inaction, she'd never forgive herself.

"Mabel!"

Mabel jumped and turned around. Eddie ran up behind her, wiping sweat from his forehead as he skidded to a halt.

"We can't do this, Mabel," he said frantically, "I...I overheard a conversation, and I'm worried about what these people are gonna do to Pines!"

"What? What're you talking about?" asked Mabel.

"They think the CoDs are too dangerous," replied Eddie, "They're gonna study him and then they're gonna kill him, and the rest of them as well."

"But...why would they do that?" demanded Mabel, "Dipper's _safe _here! Grandpa said..."

"Of course he would, Stanley's _in charge_," said Eddie, "The All-Seeing Eye are MiBs, they tend to lie!"

Mabel scratched her head.

"Who exactly did you hear this from, Eddie?" she asked.

Eddie looked left and right to ensure the corridor was empty.

"You not supposed to know this," he replied, "I don't know why, but Director Pines said you'd react badly if you knew he was on base..."

"Eddie!" exclaimed Mabel, shaking Eddie's shoulders, "Just say it!"

"They brought him on as a special advisor," said Eddie, "His name's Gideon."

"_Gideon?_" spluttered Mabel, "You've gotta be _kidding?_"

"You got a history?" asked Eddie, "I mean, I knew Dipper did, but..."

"He's a creep and he tried to kill Dipper!" exclaimed Mabel, "Why would they put him _anywhere near _my brother?! That's just crazy! Stupid crazy!"

"I dunno," shrugged Eddie, "But he did and we have to get Pines out of here. You in?"

Mabel furrowed her brow.

"Get Dipper," she replied, "I'm gonna talk to Grandpa about this. Maybe he just doesn't know who Gideon really is..."

"Mabel, we have to get out..." began Eddie.

"He's my family, Eddie," interrupted Mabel, "If you can't trust your family, who can you trust?"

Eddie sighed.

"Meet me back at the Shack when you're done, whatever you decide," he said, "I promised your great uncle that you were coming with us."

Mabel nodded.

"I hope you're right, Eddie," she said.

"So do I, Mabel," nodded Eddie.

He carried on down the corridor, leaving Mabel behind. She sighed heavily and turned in the direction of Stanley's office.

It was time to get answers.

* * *

Dipper was jolted from his sleep as Eddie raced into the room, pulling a key-card from his jacket. He narrowed his eyes at his guest.

"Hohenbecker," he said, testily.

"We're getting you out of here, Pines!" exclaimed Eddie, "Don't ask, I was wrong, you were right, he played me for a fool and I am such an idiot..."

"Wait, so _now_ you're changing sides?" demanded Dipper, "After you _tased me_ in the _back_? You think I'm gonna buy this, Eddie?"

"No, I don't," replied Eddie, "But think rationally, Pines – what choice do you have?"

He glanced at his key-card as he headed to a console next to the cage.

"Darn I hope I have clearance for this," he muttered.

He jammed the key-card into a slot and two things happened.

The first was that the glass of the cage began to retract into the ground. The second was that alarms started blaring and red flashing lights filled the room.

"...so much for stealth," muttered Eddie.

"Yeah, okay, this is legit," nodded Dipper, "No ruse could be that stupid."

He smirked as Eddie narrowed his eyes at him.

"Alright, we've gotta get to the motor pool," he said, "We can grab a ride out there and..."

"Hold it!"

Dipper looked towards the door and gasped. An agent was blocking their escape, pistol drawn.

"Get back to your cell!" thundered the agent, "Or I will fire! You have five seconds to comply! Fi-"

A second agent tackled him from the corridor, slamming him into the door-frame. She wrestled the gun from his hands and threw it aside before knocking his head against the frame. The first agent slumped to the ground, and the second turned to face Dipper – his jaw dropped as he realised who it was.

"Dipper!" called Wendy, "Come on!"

Dipper and Eddie walked towards the door – as they did so, Eddie whispered something into Dipper's ear.

"I can see why you like her, Pines."

"Eddie..." growled Dipper.

"What? It's pretty obvious," shrugged Eddie.

* * *

Stan and Dipper's father – now disguised as ASE agents – ran into the motor pool. It was a small affair – four black sedans and a row of motorbikes in a bland concrete garage that led out to a forest track. The two men stopped by one of the cars – Dipper's father bent over to catch his breath.

"How old are you again, Simon?" asked Stan, raising an eyebrow.

"Forty-six," replied Dipper's father, wearily.

"Sixty-nine," replied Stan, smirking, "Don't make 'em like they used to, huh Simon?"

"Put a...put a sock in it, Stan," panted Dipper's father.

Stan raised his fingers up to his earpiece.

"Hohenbecker, you got 'em yet?" he asked.

"_This is Dipper_," replied Dipper, "_You guys need to run, now!_"

"Not a chance, kid," snapped Stan, "Not until you and Mabel are..."

"_Grunkle Stan, the whole base is gonna be in there in the next five minutes,"_ said Dipper, "_We'll be fine, I just wanna be sure someone's getting out of here."_

"Dipper..."

"_Stan, just run!"_

Stan sighed.

"We'll meet you back at the Shack," he nodded, "If you get killed, I'm hunting down your ghost."

_"__Got it, see you soon._"

Stan shook his head as he lowered his hand.

"We're getting out," he snapped, "I'm on shotgun."

"What about Dipper and Mabel?" demanded Dipper's father.

"Right behind us, now get a move on!" replied Stan.

Dipper's father reluctantly removed a set of keys from his suit jacket and unlocked the car. The two men jumped into the vehicle and Dipper's father turned the ignition – the radio immediately turned on, and a familiar seventies-era song filled the car.

"...you're kidding," grunted Dipper's father, "Top secret men in black, and they drive around listening to _Crocodile Rock?!_"

"Hey, this song speaks to me on a very personal level," snapped Stan, "Now drive!"

Stan pointedly ignored his nephew's eye roll as they pulled out of the motor pool and into the night. He gazed out the window, hoping beyond hope that Eddie would keep his word.

* * *

Three minutes later, Dipper, Eddie and Wendy raced through the motor pool doors, an agent hot on their heels. Eddie reached into his jacket, pulled out his taser-like device and fired it at the agent – she was zapped and slumped to the ground, unconscious.

"Alright, what now?" asked Wendy, "You got a key for any of these?"

Eddie reached into his jacket, pulling out a set of keys.

"Pretty sure these are for the bikes," he replied, "It won't be comfy, but we'll..."

"Dipper, ya really are a pain in the neck."

Dipper frowned as Gideon walked into the motor pool – he crossed his arms.

"Gideon," he snarled.

"_Gideon?_" quizzed Wendy.

"Ah, the tall freak came to save ya," nodded Gideon, "How sweet. I guess the gang's all here!"

"Pretty rich of _you_ to call _me _a freak, runt," snapped Wendy.

"What do you mean, the gang's all here?" asked Dipper.

"Dipper, Wendy," gulped Eddie, "Meet the third Child of Destiny."

"_Him?!_" exclaimed Dipper.

"Yep," nodded Gideon, "Oh, we're gonna have such fun, Dipper! Harry's been waiting a long time to..."

"Gideon, look!" interrupted Eddie, pointing behind Gideon, "Mabel's coming!"

"Peach dumpling?" exclaimed Gideon, turning around.

Eddie charged the albino teen, forcing him back out the motor pool door. He pinned him down, using his free hand to throw the taser device to Wendy.

"Get out of here, I'll hold him off!" he yelled.

"Eddie, you can't just..."

"_Dipper, go!_" shouted Eddie.

Gideon reached up, grabbing Eddie's neck and holding him in a chokehold. Flailing wildly, Eddie managed to kick a button on the wall with his foot – the motor pool door closed.

Dipper gulped and nodded, running over to one of the motorbikes and shoving the key into the ignition. Wendy jumped on behind him, grabbing onto his waist with one hand.

"You sure you know how to drive one of these?" she asked.

"No," replied Dipper, "But hey, you should always try new things."

There was a metallic grinding noise as part of the left-hand wall suddenly shifted, revealing several agents running into the motor pool.

"Drive!" shouted Wendy.

Dipper hit the gas and the bike shot out of the garage, skidding onto the dark forest trail. A gut-wrenching bolt of fear flowed through him as he realised he had no experience at riding a motorbike, but it was mitigated by his determination to escape. Behind them, sirens filled the air as two ASE cars set off after them.

Dipper weaved along the track, ducking under low-hanging branches and dodging bushes and rocks as he went. Behind him, Wendy aimed the taser at the lead of the two cars and squeezed off a bolt – the car swerved off the road as the driver fell unconscious, but the other continued regardless.

"Any ideas?" shouted Dipper.

"Cut into the forest!" replied Wendy, "They can't follow us there!"

"Are you crazy?!" exclaimed Dipper.

"Yep, probably," shrugged Wendy, "Now go!"

Dipper gulped and swerved off the road, weaving through the trees and bushes in the darkness. The thickness of the woods made it impossible to see far ahead – it was almost like riding blind. His thoughts raced.

_We're gonna die we're gonna die this is kind of awesome but still we're gonna die_

"Are they still following us?!" called Dipper.

Wendy looked back.

"No!" she replied, "We've lost 'em!"

"Alright!" nodded Dipper, "I'm gonna stop no-_AAAAAGGGH!_"

He slammed on the brake as they sped into a barn, skidding into a haystack. The bike promptly fell on its side, hurling Dipper and Wendy into a pile of hay. Dipper landed face-first, and for several seconds he was completely disorientated.

He pulled himself out of the hay, spitting out the straws and shaking his head. He turned to Wendy, who was lying on her back and dusting herself off.

"We're both insane!" he said, shaking his head "Completely insane!"

He began to laugh despite himself. Before long, Wendy had joined in. The laughter lasted for over a minute, the two friends just happy to have escaped.

"I probably shouldn't enjoy this so much," chuckled Dipper as the laughter began to die down, "I might have a problem."

"Heh, guess it's my problem too, man," said Wendy, smirking.

Dipper smiled and pulled himself out of the hay. Sure, Mabel was still with the All-Seeing Eye (although apparently off for a stern talk with Stanley) and he had no idea if Eddie was alright, but now that he was out of the cage, Dipper felt like things might end up alright.

And if nothing else, he had this moment, and that was enough.

* * *

URE UHQCHWWL SUHYLRXVOB ZRUNHG RQ D FDUWRRQ IRU QLFNHORGHRQ. ZKDW ZDV WKH ILUVW QDPH RI WKH PDLQ FKDUDFWHU?

VGTHATIG FRRPY UYB E EBJN XB CJJC.

* * *

AN: Thanks to Greek-Whovian for giving me the idea to have a motorbike scene.


	9. Chapter VIII: The Road Back

Happy New Year!

Guest review replies;

**Zeditha:** Yeah, Gideon's a creep, isn't he? :D It's alright, everything is cool. :) Thanks for reading!

* * *

**Chapter VIII: The Road Back**

Mabel stood outside Stanley's office, taking a deep breath and deciding whether or not to go inside. She swallowed and opened the door.

Stanley's office was small and spartan – it contained a cluttered wooden desk, a single framed diploma on the wall and a portrait of the little-known President Quinton Trembley on the right. The old man himself was hunched over his desk, his head in his hands – his jacket hung on his chair.

"Edward," he sighed, "I put so much faith in him...for this to happen..."

"Grandpa, we need to talk," said Mabel.

Stanley looked up. His eyes were rimmed with dark bags.

"What is it, Mabel?" he asked, wearily.

"Is Gideon working for us?" she asked.

Stanley sighed very heavily.

"That little piece of pond scum," he replied, "Is here only because he's absolutely required..."

"You _did_ hire him!" shouted Mabel, "And you didn't even tell me! Why the heck do we need that creep?! What's going on here?"

"He has the knowledge we need to help Dipper..."

"Gideon doesn't wanna _help_ Dipper, he wants to _kill_ Dipper!" replied Mabel, "What's really going on, Stanley? No more lying!"

Stanley bowed his head.

"Mabel, to save the world, sometimes you have to do hard things," he began, "I..."

"He's right there, marshmella."

Gideon walked into the room, his suit rather dishevelled but his face contorted in a smugly triumphant grin. Behind him entered Harry, who looked as though he'd seen a ghost.

"Did ya tell her about our poor friend Hohenbecker?" asked Gideon, crossing his arms, "Or shall I break the news?"

Stanley snarled and slammed his fist on his desk.

"It's bad enough you did it, boy, you don't have to be _happy_ about it!" he thundered.

"What did you do to Eddie?" demanded Mabel.

"Well, he attacked me first, so I guess it was self-defence," shrugged Gideon, "Fought pretty good, I'll give him that. Unfortunately for him, I managed to get the upper hand and...well, it was a pretty good demonstration of what _he_ needs to do when we get our hands on Dipper."

He pointed to Harry with his thumb – Harry, for his part, seemed to be on the verge of throwing up. Mabel stepped back, her face paling as she realised what Gideon meant.

"You...you _didn't_..."

"You cost me an agent, Gideon," growled Stanley, "If you weren't essential..."

"Essential?!" thundered Mabel, "_Essential?!_ He just killed my friend, _sir_, and you're keeping him around? What the heck could he possibly do that makes up for...for _that?!_"

Stanley's face fell and he didn't reply. Gideon spoke up instead.

"The All-Seein' Eye," he explained, "Wants my help to strip the powers of the Children of Destiny. They got this nice plan – Operation Preservation – and a big ol' machine designed to rip 'em all out, everywhere in the world, at the same time."

Stanley swallowed and nodded.

"It has to be done, Mabel," he said, "And the only place on Earth with the supernatural energy required to power the machine is..."

"...good ol' Gravity Falls!" interrupted Gideon, extending his arms, "The most diverse paranormal hotspot on Earth! And of course, they needed a fella who knew the lay of the land _as it is today_, my apologies Stanley, and who better then _widdle ol' me?_"

"I can think of plenty of people," replied Mabel, "McGucket! Grunkle Stan! Heck, _Dipper_ for heck's sake!"

"I was the only one who would say yes," answered Gideon.

Mabel turned to Stanley. The old man sighed and closed his eyes.

"We lied to you," he admitted, "You, Hohenbecker – heck, most of the base personnel don't know the truth, just to be safe. The machine will remove the powers of the Children of Destiny, but...at a cost."

He looked at his feet.

"They'll all suffer a total breakdown at the atomic level. It would be like standing next to the epicentre of an atomic bomb. Complete painless..."

Mabel froze as horror filled her very being. For a few seconds, she found that she couldn't form words.

"You're gonna kill them," she breathed.

"Every last one, give or take," replied Gideon, smirking.

From the look in his eyes, Mabel could tell that the 'give-or-take' Gideon had mentioned meant himself. That was a revelation in itself, but the impact was dulled by the preceding betrayal.

"Dipper," said Mabel, shaking her head, "Wendy..."

"Them and everyone in the book," nodded Gideon, "I don't mean to be hubristic, but I'm really lookin' forward to it..."

Mabel snarled loudly and swung a punch straight into Gideon's face.

"You smug little twerp!" she bellowed.

Gideon groaned and slumped to the ground. Filled with rage, Mabel turned to Stanley and pointed at him.

"And _you_," she growled, "You _used_ me, you tried to make me _kill my brother_ and all that time you fooled me into thinking you gave a crud about him. You are the _worst _person I have ever met!"

"Mabel, please..." began Stanley.

"Goodbye, Director," snapped Mabel, "I'm leaving."

She turned her back on her grandfather and walked to the door. She stopped next to Gideon and stamped on his stomach.

"That's for Eddie," she declared, "And _that_..." – She stamped on him again – "...is for calling me _marshmallow!_"

She walked out, heading straight for the base exit. The whole way, she waited for the base alarm to go off again – it never did, and before long she was outside. She stopped outside the cave entrance, taking in the night air.

"Alright, Mabel," she told herself, "No more lies – only the Mystery Twins."

* * *

The road back to the Shack was lit by the pale moonlight, highlighting the surrounding pine trees in an eerie silvery-blue. Dipper was used to it – he'd been out after dark hundreds of times in the last five years, and the fear of dangerous encounters tended to lose its edge after the nineteenth failed gremlin attack.

Tonight was different, though. Everything had changed in a single day, and now he felt he had no idea who he could trust. He had been spied on, he had been betrayed and he'd even been kidnapped by his own grandfather...as well as his sister.

Mabel's betrayal had been the worst, and he'd be lying to himself if he said he wasn't still feeling it. If _she_ was working for the All-Seeing Eye, then who else was? Soos? Stan? His father? Wendy?

_No._

He shook his head, shaking away the dark, paranoid thought. What Mabel did, he told himself, she did because she thought she was helping. It was his grandfather – the long forgotten Stanley Pines – who truly deserved his vitriol and distrust, not Mabel. Never Mabel.

Maybe he was too soft, but he refused to follow the Author's old doctrine of 'trust no-one.' After all, that sentiment seemed to have driven the Author to paranoid madness.

"Penny for your thoughts, Dip?"

Dipper glanced over to Wendy and shrugged.

"Just thinking about what happened today," he replied, "Those things Stanley said about us having some kind of power – do you believe that?"

"I dunno," shrugged Wendy, "I mean, if we did, we'd know by now, wouldn't we?"

"He said they came out after a strong emotional reaction," said Dipper, scratching his chin, "Like fear, anger...anything else you can think of?"

"Kinda cliché, but love maybe?" suggested Wendy.

"Probably safe from that one, then," chuckled Dipper, "I've dated _once_ and it was a disaster, so I probably shouldn't get my hopes up..."

Wendy put a hand on Dipper's shoulder.

"Dipper," she said, "Don't knock yourself. You're smart, you're interesting, you're...kinda neurotic, but in an endearing way..."

"Thanks, I guess," muttered Dipper.

"...trust me," finished Wendy, "You'll find someone. Sometimes you've just gotta open your eyes."

"That's sounds like something Mabel would say," mused Dipper.

"It's because it _is_," replied Wendy, "She gave me this talk while you and Soos were out bigfoot hunting."

Dipper snorted.

"Sounds right," he nodded.

He sighed and looked up at the moon.

"I don't know, though," he said, "I mean, I'm not exactly a _safe bet_, you know? Given the amount of times I nearly got Candy killed in three weeks, I'm surprised we're even still friends. I mean, eventually I'm gonna leave Gravity Falls and..."

He shook his head.

"Who the heck wants to spend their whole life chasing the paranormal?" he asked.

"Better that then working in an office," replied Wendy, "Or logging for my dad."

Dipper raised an eyebrow.

"That sounds kinda like you're asking to..."

_Beep! Beep!_

Dipper and Wendy were suddenly bathed in light. They turned around – Soos' pickup had pulled up behind them.

"Soos?" asked Wendy.

The door opened, and Melody leaned out.

"Not quite," she replied, "You two wanna lift back to the Shack?"

"You know what's going on?" asked Dipper.

"Yep," nodded Melody, "Soos filled me in. You holding up okay, Dipper?"

"It's been a long day, Melody," sighed Dipper, "A long day."

He and Wendy walked over to the pickup and climbed in the back. Dipper looked out the window as they drove off into the night, thinking to himself.

He was in for quite a surprise when they got back home...

* * *

LQ ZKLFK DPHULFDQ VWDWH ZDV VRRV' IDWKHU ZKHQ KH VHQW KLV ODVW SRVWFDUG?

EVY MQM NBW ROTMK VOETSKYAL

* * *

AN: Melody - killer of moments!

I did change this one a little in the last proofing stage. Initally, Mabel was going to punch Gideon a little lower then the head. Amusing though it was, it wasn't quite as dramatic - you can see the original on my Tumblr.


	10. Chapter IX: Raising the Stakes

Raising the stakes is a good way to keep out the vampires. :)

Guest review replies;

**Zeditha:** Yeah, that's another reason I cut it. :\ Well, the ASE doesn't actually want to protect them - they lied about that to Mabel and Eddie. They just want to make sure they don't have the power. They're scared, basically. Anyway, thanks for reading!

**Guest:** Oh, but my friend, it wouldn't be fun if I didn't tease you now and then. :D Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

**Chapter IX: Raising the Stakes**

It was just after midnight when Dipper, Wendy and Melody arrived back at the Shack. It was quite the sight for sore eyes, and Dipper couldn't help but smile as he got out. Not far away, he could see Stan and Soos sitting on the bonnet of the former's car – the latter immediately jumped off and ran to them as they arrived.

"Dipper, you're alive!" he exclaimed, scooping Dipper up into a tight hug.

"Soos!" coughed Dipper, "Can't...breathe!"

"Oops, sorry dude," said Soos, dropping Dipper, "So, what happened? Why did they want you?"

"I still don't really know," replied Dipper, shrugging, "Something about me and Wendy having secret powers and how they needed to 'help us'..."

"...and my long-lost brother," muttered Stan, darkly.

"Oh my gosh," said Soos, his eyes widening.

There was a long silence.

"Wait, you guys have _superpowers?!_" exclaimed Soos, "Can you fly? Can I see them?!"

"No, Soos, we probably don't _actually_ have powers," replied Wendy, "The nutcases in the black suits just think we do."

"Oh," nodded Soos, dejectedly.

"Actually, you do."

Dipper jumped and turned towards the forest. A figure emerged from the trees – clad in an artist's beret and an unmistakable sweater.

"Mabel?" said Dipper.

Mabel stepped into the light of the Mystery Shack's front yard. She stopped in front of Dipper, head bowed.

"You were right," she said, "They were bad, I just couldn't see it...I thought...I'm..."

Dipper put a hand on her shoulder.

"You've got nothing to be sorry about, Mabel," he replied, "You thought you were helping."

"But...how can you trust me again?" asked Mabel, her eyes watering slightly.

"You're one of our own, hambone," shrugged Soos, "What's that saying again? One for all and...something something?"

"Sure, you made a mistake," added Wendy, "But don't we all, sometimes? You just gotta get back up again."

"You're the only grand-niece I have, Mabel," said Stan, "Actually, no, you're the only one I _want._"

"We're a team," finished Dipper, "More than that, we're a _family_. And...and it's just not _complete_ without you."

He opened his arms.

"What do you say?" he offered, "Mystery Twins?"

Mabel sniffled.

"Mystery _Family_," she replied, embracing her brother.

"Well, that was sickeningly cheesy," muttered Stan, "But what the hey, I'm on board!"

He joined in the hug, followed by Wendy, Soos and (at Soos' insistence) Melody. For just a few moments, Dipper felt like his troubles were a thousand miles away.

Then he was jolted out of his good feelings by a horn and the sound of a van rolling up.

Dipper broke from the hug and watched as Thompson, Tambry and Robbie emerged from the van, the latter waving her phone towards them.

"Guys, turn on the news!" she shouted, her tone uncharacteristically frantic, "You have to see this!"

* * *

"_...from Gravity Falls, Oregon, I'm Shandra Jimenez."_

The whole group, plus Mr. Pines and Waddles, were gathered in the living room in front of Stan's ancient television. On the television, Dipper could see Shandra Jimenez, the less ugly face of news in Gravity Falls, standing in front of the Northwest Manor. Behind her was a line of black sedans, nondescript agents pacing about around them.

"_The peace in Gravity Falls was shattered tonight as the Northwest Manor was stormed by an unidentified organisation,"_ reported Shandra, "_This group, identified only by their black suits, claimed that they required the Manor to 'set up equipment.' We spoke to one of the occupiers."_

The screen changed to a single agent, gazing slightly blankly into the camera.

_"__We're...uh...FBI. No, CIA. No, definitely FBI, actually, one hundred percent..."_

_"__Long, shut up!" _somebody shouted from off screen.

The screen returned to Shandra, who was now standing next to a police cruiser with Sheriff Blubs – Deputy Durland sat at the wheel inside.

"_The Gravity Falls Police Department is now preparing for siege,"_ said Shandra, "_Sheriff Blubs would like to make a statement to the community. Sheriff?"_

"_People of Gravity Falls, your police force needs you_,_"_ said Blubs, grimly, "_We're going to need a _lot_ of hot pockets if we're gonna survive the night."_

"_That's a code four-oh-niner, we need more hot pockets,"_ Durland called into the car radio.

"Ptth!" snorted Robbie, "Gravity Falls' Finest, am I right?"

"Why the Northwest Manor?" asked Dipper, "What makes it different from anywhere else in town?"

"The whole house has room to room Persian rugs," replied Thompson, waving his arms enthusiastically, "All genuine. Every room costs $200,000 and..."

He trailed off as he realised everyone was staring at him.

"...and...and it's not like I think that's cool or anything," finished Thompson, looking at his feet.

"I heard somewhere that they've got their own power generator under the mansion," shrugged Tambry, "Something pretty state of the art..."

"Operation Preservation!" exclaimed Mabel, jumping to her feet (and accidentally catapulting Waddles off of her lap in the process."

"Operation what now?" asked Dipper, tilting his head.

"The All-Seeing Eye thinks they can rip out your powers with a machine," explained Mabel, "They needed the supernatural energy of Gravity Falls, and I'll bet the Northwests' generator is part of it!"

"But it's just a normal power generator, isn't it?" asked Dipper.

"Dipper, the Northwests have been in Gravity Falls for over a hundred years," reminded Stan, "If they don't know about at least some of the crazy stuff that goes on here, I'll eat my fez."

"But we'd know if they knew, wouldn't we?" mused Soos.

"Why? Did they tell you?" demanded Stan.

"Point taken," nodded Soos.

"What, so the Northwests have a supernatural power generator and we've just never noticed?" asked Dipper.

"Well, we've never been in their basement," shrugged Mabel, "Until _now_, that is."

She pumped her fist.

"You are _way_ too enthusiastic about breaking into the Northwest Manor," muttered Dipper.

"Okay, let's drop that for a sec," interrupted Wendy, "This machine isn't just gonna take our powers, is it?"

Mabel shook her head.

"Stanley said it would disintegrate you," replied Mabel, "You and all of the Children of Destiny."

"_Disintegrate?_" spluttered Mr. Pines, "You sure about that, Mabes?"

"Well, he _actually_ said 'total breakdown at the atomic level', but I figured 'disintegrate' was more to the point," shrugged Mabel.

"Thanks Mabel," muttered Dipper, "Disintegrate sounds _so_ much less painful."

"So everything he told me was a lie," snarled Stan, "He tried to get me to kill his own grandson."

He clenched his fists.

"When we get him," he declared, "I am going to throw him into the Bottomless Pit and fill it in with cement!"

Dipper stood up, walking to the front of the room.

"Well, it's come to this," he said, "We're gonna have to break in and destroy that machine. Grunkle Stan, you've done this sorta thing before – what do we do?"

All eyes fell on Stan.

"Geez, way to put me on the spot, kid," grunted Stan, "Alright, first we rest up. Tomorrow, me, Soos and Simon will scout out the Manor..."

"...I volunteer to help!" declared Mabel.

"Done," nodded Stan, "Robbie, Tambry, whatever the other guy's name is, you stay here and gather weapons. If it can knock out an MiB from twenty paces, I want it."

He turned to Melody.

"Melody, you head into town and get backup," he ordered, "Anyone who isn't afraid to wreck the Northwest Manor is welcome."

Melody nodded and saluted.

"Dipper, did you get your book back?" asked Stan.

"No," replied Dipper, "Stanley still has it."

"Is there anywhere else you can find the wheel?" asked Stan.

Dipper scratched his chin.

"Do you still have the first two journals?" he replied.

"Yep," nodded Stan, "I keep old '1' and '2' in my office. Why?"

"Can I look through them? They might be in there," said Dipper.

Stan nodded.

"You and Wendy are on that," he said, "We'll meet up at the crossroads up the road from the mansion at five tomorrow afternoon."

Stan narrowed his eyes.

"Get some sleep – you'll need it."

* * *

"Let me out of here! I will sue you! I have the money!"

Stanley, Gideon and Bud Gleeful ignored the restrained Preston Northwest, instead watching as the agents of the All-Seeing Eye assembled the machine that would make Operation Preservation possible. They were standing on a metal platform above a massive electrical generator. Green electricity pulsed from the big machine, running down the wires that powered the Manor. It was most assuredly not a normal power generator.

Stanley was flipping through the Children of Destiny book, shaking his head as he found dozens of pages he could not read.

"Are you sure about this, fellas?" asked Bud, nervously, "We're talking about a _lot_ of folks here..."

"Less than a hundredth of a percent of the global population, Mr. Gleeful," reminded Stanley, "Just remind yourself that."

He sighed heavily.

"It has to be done," he said, shaking his head.

Gideon grabbed his father's arm, pulling him away as Stanley became lost in his thoughts.

"Did you do it?" whispered Gideon.

"Just as you asked, my little angel," replied Bud, putting a hand on Gideon's shoulder. Gideon glared at him and he pulled his arm away.

"Perfect," he nodded, "We keep playing these idiots and they'll give us exactly what I want..."

* * *

ZKDW ZDV WKH QDPH RI WKH NLG ZKR JRW HDWHQ EB WKH VXPPHUZHHQ WULFNVWHU?

ZVVEI GY CER QMXS - ZG MQ TCK JLM ECL'EI CDDVPXGTU

* * *

AN: I think you're cool, Thompson.


	11. Chapter X: The Calm Before the Storm

What's the best way to continue from a cliffhanger? DRAW IT OUT OF COURSE

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**EllaShootingStar:** Hang in there! It's not long now before this all pays off! I hope! Thanks for reading!

**Zeditha:** Well ain't that just the question? :) Yep, cheesy, but fun. ;) Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

**Chapter X: The Calm Before the Storm**

Pacifica Northwest hid behind a hedge at the very edge of the Northwest Manor's grounds, peeking out as black-suited agents patrolled the perimeter. She cursed under her breath and tried to think of someone to blame – Mabel Pines, the Lilliputtians, space aliens; anything would do right now.

They had come at the dead of night, just after 2am. They'd kicked open the door, chased off the staff and clapped her parents in handcuffs. She'd only gotten out by jumping the window while the agents backs were turned. She had spent a sleepless night hiding on the other side of the hedge, exposed to all the elements (if she'd wanted to go camping, she'd have been born _poor_, thank you very much). Now, as the sun rose, she was tired, angry and filthy – a dangerous combination in an eighteen-year-old at the best of times.

She was just considering who to ask for help evicting the unwanted visitors (in Gravity Falls, calling the police was an exercise in futility) when she heard a rustle in the bushes behind her.

"Who's there?" she demanded, "Show yourself!"

A wrinkled, bearded face emerged from the bush, pointing a bandaged hand at Pacifica.

"I need your help, lil' missy!" he exclaimed.

Pacifica groaned and rolled her eyes.

"McGucket?" she said, "Like, why would I even want to help you?"

"I can help you get back into that there fancy house," replied McGucket, "Save your parents and all that. All I need's to get inside!"

"...do I wanna know why you wanna get inside my house?" asked Pacifica, hesitantly.

"I got somethin' I wanna say to a feller named Stanley," replied McGucket, "I saw him go in, which I thought was peculiar, cause he's missin' an' all."

"And what do you want to say?" asked Pacifica.

"Wanna ask him how he done got back here," shrugged McGucket, "How he's doin'...why he didn't tell me he was alive..."

McGucket's shoulders drooped and he looked down. Pacifica sighed heavily.

"Alright, fine, I'll help you," she said, "But only to get back into my house, alright? It's-it's not like I care or anything."

"Great!" exclaimed McGucket, "We gotta go plan this out! To the dump!"

"Uh, _no_," snapped Pacifica, "I am _not_ going to the dump."

"It's that or the stormwater drain."

"Dump it is."

* * *

Dipper sat at the kitchen table, hunched over Journal 2. Across from him, Wendy was flipping through Journal 1. It was mid-morning – Stan, Mabel, Soos and Mr. Pines had already left, and Tambry, Robbie and Thompson were rifling through the Shack for anything that could be used as a weapon.

"Any luck?" asked Dipper.

"Nope," shrugged Wendy, "A lot of stuff on the portal, though. Who knew Stan knew so much complex..."

Dipper turned a page and clicked his fingers.

"Found it!" he exclaimed.

He spun the book around so that Wendy could see it. Across from a page on summoning Bill Cipher was a sketch of a wheel – ten symbols surrounded an image of the triangular demon.

"Alright, we're in business!" said Wendy, raising a hand. She and Dipper fist-bumped.

Dipper moved to the chair next to Wendy as they studied the image. He scratched his chin quizzically.

"They mentioned 'heart' when they were watching Tambry and Robbie," mused Dipper, pointing at the heart symbol, "Is it just me, or does that look familiar?"

"It looks like the heart on Robbie's hoodie," replied Wendy, raising an eyebrow.

"Can't believe he still wears that thing," muttered Dipper.

Wendy pointed at Dipper's hat.

"Hey!" protested Dipper, "At least I have more than one of these!"

He glanced at another symbol.

"Pine Tree," he mused, "Bill used to call me Pine Tree...and that's the symbol on my hat!"

"And I'm pretty sure that question mark comes from Soos' shirt," added Wendy, "And that's the thing on Stan's fez, the star from the Tent of Telepathy..."

"They all represent people from Gravity Falls," realised Dipper, "Ice Bag's you, Bill called you that a couple of times, six-finger could be McGucket because he was the Author's assistant, glasses must be Stanley...who the heck's llama?"

Wendy shrugged.

"What I wanna know is why this is important to the All-Seeing Eye," she said, "They're after the Children of Destiny, not this wheel stuff, right?"

"I swear this gets more and more complicated every minute," sighed Dipper, burying his head in his hands, "Remember when it was just some camera on Tambry's lawn? Those were good days..."

"That was yesterday," reminded Wendy.

"Point still stands," muttered Dipper.

Wendy smiled and put a hand on Dipper's shoulder.

"We'll get through this, Dip," she said, "I promise."

"And what if we don't?" asked Dipper, "I mean, Eddie _died_, Wendy. What if that happens to us? There's so much I wanted to..."

He sighed and shook his head.

"Last night," he said, "Before Melody picked us up, when we were talking...were you trying to say..."

He groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"No, forget it, it's dumb, just..."

"Was I gonna ask to come with you?" said Wendy, "When you leave Gravity Falls?"

"Yeah, it's stupid, forget I said it," sighed Dipper, "I was just making..."

"Actually, yeah," replied Wendy, "I kinda was."

Dipper took his head out of his hands and stared at Wendy, jaw dropped.

"You wha?" he said, dumbly.

"Dipper, what do you think I'd rather do with my life?" asked Wendy, "Cut down trees for my dad, or run around doing really crazy junk with my closest friend?"

Dipper blinked.

"So...you wanna join me?" he asked, "Be a paranormal investigator? But...but we'd be working for peanuts if even that and living off the land and stuff! Do you really want that?"

Wendy put her hands on Dipper's shoulders.

"Yes," she replied, "I do."

Dipper looked into Wendy's green eyes, his brain processing what had just been said.

"...alright," he replied, a smile appearing on his face, "Partner."

Wendy smiled back. For some reason, Dipper had the urge to lean forward...

The door was flung open. Dipper and Wendy jumped, the former falling off his chair, as Robbie and Tambry burst in.

"Why does Mr. Pines have ten guns?!" demanded Robbie, "Does he think we're gonna be invaded or something?"

"How many guns do you think he should have?" asked Wendy.

"...one, I guess," replied Robbie.

"We're gonna need help taking these to Soos' pickup," said Tambry, holding up a pitchfork, "You guys got a moment?"

"Does that include..." began Dipper.

"We're not taking the guns," replied Tambry.

"Sure," nodded Wendy, "We'll help. C'mon, Dipper."

She got up, following Robbie out of the kitchen. Dipper got up to follow – he paused as he saw Tambry looking at him, eyebrow raised.

"What?" he asked.

Tambry just flashed him a knowing smile before walking away, tapping on her phone as she went.

* * *

It was just after five. Stan, Soos, Mabel and Mr. Pines were sitting in the grass beside the crossroads, a hundred or so metres from the grounds of the Northwest Manor. Stan gazed at his watch, a serious expression on his face.

"Where are they?" he asked, "We're running on a tight schedule!"

"They're only two minutes late, Stan," said Mr. Pines.

"Two minutes too late, Simon," grumbled Stan.

There was the hum of engines, and Soos' pickup and Thompson's van appeared from the trees. They pulled up on the side of the road, behind Stan's car.

Dipper jumped out of the cab of Soos' pickup, stepping back and looking at the truck from a few paces back. He grinned and turned to Stan.

"And you said I couldn't parallel park," he scoffed.

"It doesn't count unless there's two cars, kid," replied Stan.

"You taught him to drive?" quizzed Mabel.

"Well, if by teaching you mean getting Soos to teach him, yeah," shrugged Stan, "Guess that explains why he's so terrible at it."

"Hey!" said Dipper and Soos.

"Look," demanded Robbie, climbing out of Thompson's van, "Are we gonna talk about the dork's driving skills, or are we gonna do this thing?"

"Good point," nodded Stan, "Dipper, did you find the wheel?"

"Yep," nodded Dipper, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a labelled scan of the wheel, "We think the symbols represent people from Gravity Falls."

"See?" added Wendy, walking up and pointing at the symbols, "Pine Tree's Dipper, Shooting Star is Mabel..."

"Yeah, I get the idea," nodded Stan, "Who's llama?"

Dipper shrugged.

"We'll cross that hurdle if it comes up," said Stan, crossing his arms, "Alright, here's the plan. We're going in the back, but we wanna draw agents away from there. When Melody gets here with our backup..."

"Speak of the devil, dude," interrupted Soos, pointing at the trees.

Stan looked towards the trees. Melody had emerged, followed by Candy, Grenda, Manly Dan and Tyler.

"Seriously, that's all you could get?" asked Stan, unimpressed.

"To break into the home of the most powerful people in town?" replied Melody, "Yeah."

"Pah, bunch of wimps!" exclaimed Manly Dan, pounding his fists together, "Takes a _real man_ to break into a mansion!"

"Ah yeah!" exclaimed Grenda, "I finally get a chance to gut-punch Pacifica Northwest!"

"Grenda," reminded Candy, "We're not actually fighting Pacifica."

"Point still stands," said Grenda.

"Alright," nodded Stan, "Melody, you take them, Robbie and what's-his-face..."

"_Thompson_," reminded Thompson.

"Don't care – and go in the front – draw the agents away from the back," continued Stan, "Soos, Simon, Tambry, I need you to sneak in and see if you can't find a power control centre – when you find it, cut the power. Dipper, Mabel, Wendy, you're with me – we're gonna sneak in the back, find Stanley and that little twerp, and end this."

He looked towards the manor and scowled at the thought of his brother inside.

"Alright, this is it," he said.

"For Eddie," added Mabel.

Stan nodded and swallowed.

"Good luck everyone," he finished.

* * *

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* * *

AN: The end is nearly upon us!


	12. Chapter IX: Destiny Calls

Let the final battle be joined!

Guest review replies:

**Zeditha:** Obviously it's Larry King. =P (not really) Thanks for reading!

* * *

**Chapter XI: Destiny Calls**

Agent Justin Long stood next to the main doors to the Manor, across the grounds at the front gate. He was tired and bored – he couldn't wait to pass over to Agent Collins for the night shift.

He crossed his arms as he looked out at the local police. Both were sitting on the trunk of their cruiser, arms around each other as they gazed at the sunset. There was no attempt to establish a cordon, no attempt to negotiate with the ASE, no attempt to stop the van careening towards the gate – _wait what?_

There was a metallic crash as the blue van tore through the gate, skidding to a halt in the middle of the courtyard. Long jumped into action, drawing his pistol as he and several other agents raced over to surround the van.

"Out!" he thundered, pointing his weapon at the driver (a large fellow who was muttering something about the implausibility of this happening twice), "Out of the van and onto the ground, now!"

He turned to a balding agent next to him.

"Jensen, check the van," he ordered.

Jensen nodded and raced up to the van door. He placed his hand on the handle.

There was an animalistic roar.

With a sickening crunch, the massive and unmistakable form of Manly Dan Corduroy burst out of the van, tearing the door off with one hand and grabbing Jensen's collar by the other. Manly Dan hurled Jensen over his shoulder, sending him flying over the van, and turned to the other agents.

"_COME, BY BROTHERS!_" he yelled, "_ATTAAAAACK!_"

He leapt off the van, a small biker following after him and chanting 'Get 'em! Get 'em!" They were in turn followed by a largish woman, a greasy-haired young adult and two teenage girls, all armed with a variety of improvised weaponry.

Long ducked under another agent hurled by Manly Dan and shouted into the radio.

"We need backup at the front!" he shouted, "We're under attack!"

"_Being beaten up by a girl again, Long?_"

"No!" replied Long, "They've got, like, a tank-person or something! Send everyth-_AAAAAHHH!_"

And with that, Justin Long got a brief taste of flight.

* * *

Dipper climbed through the ground floor window of the manor, dropping lightly into the corridor. Shortly after, Stan, Mabel and Wendy climbed through – the former leaned out the window to talk to Soos, Mr. Pines and Tambry.

"Alright, you're on your own now, Soos," he called, "Find the security room...power room...whatever it is and take it over. You sure you can handle it?"

"Don't worry about it, Mr. Pines!" replied Soos, saluting, "I won't let you down. Good luck, dudes!"

"Good luck, kids," gulped Mr. Pines, "I'll see you soon...I hope to God."

Stan nodded and closed the window.

"Alright," he said, "We need to get down into the basement and...what the heck is that smell?"

Dipper sniffed. A lingering foul stench filled his nostrils – it smelt familiar.

"Smells like the dump," he mused.

Stan narrowed his eyes.

"McGucket," he nodded.

"What the heck would he be doing here?" quizzed Wendy.

Dipper shrugs.

"We can find out later," he said, "Come on, we're running out of time."

He ran down the corridor, the rest of the group following behind.

* * *

"Sir, Agent Long just called for backup in the front courtyard – something about a tank man."

Stanley looked up from the machine as Agent Collins spoke up. The machine looked a lot like a very early mechanical computer – not unlike those used during the Second World War. Gideon stood next to him, looking over the machine with a smug grin on his face.

"Tank man?" repeated Stanley, "What in the name of..."

"I've got security footage now, sir," replied Collins, handing Stanley a small tablet.

Stanley looked at the footage and raised an eyebrow.

"Is that Dan Corduroy?" he asked, "_My god_ he's grown..."

"Darn it!" shouted Preston from the corner, "I banned the Corduroys from my property!"

Stanley glanced at him, raising an eyebrow.

"...but if he's here to save me that's fine," added Preston, very quickly.

"If he's here, it's likely he's working with Stanford," mused Stanley, "After all, his daughter is one of the Children of Destiny. The attack on the front is probably a ruse."

"Do you want me to withhold reinforcements, sir?" asked Collins.

"No, let Stanford through," replied Stanley, "I'd like to talk to him before this all ends. Besides..."

He turned back to the machine. Gideon pulled a level, and it roared to life.

"...it's too late to stop us now."

* * *

There was a loud crash as Soos forced open the door to the security room. A lone agent got up from a chair in front of a series of monitors, reaching into his suit jacket and pulling a gun – Mr. Pines charged into him, punched him in the face and tore the gun out of his hands. He punched him a second time and let him slide to the ground.

Soos and Tambry stared, jaws dropped.

"What?" shrugged Mr. Pines, "They messed with my kids."

Soos and Tambry glanced at each other. They shrugged, and Tambry sat down in the chair.

"Alright, let's see what we can do here," she said, cracking her fingers.

She opened a laptop plugged in on the desk in front of her, smirked, and started typing. An alarm went off, filling the room with red light.

"Is that the _good_ alarm or the _bad_ alarm?" asked Soos, nervously.

"Good alarm," replied Tambry, "I'm sending them all to the east side of the manor."

"But there's nothing there," said Mr. Pines.

"That's the point," nodded Tambry.

"So you're just gonna send them on a wild goose chase?" asked Soos.

"Uh-huh," said Tambry, "Among other things..."

* * *

Dipper, Mabel, Wendy and Stan crept down the staircase into the basement of the Northwest Manor. Above them, they could hear the sounds of alarms ringing, agents running and the fire control system being activated. It sounded like Soos, Tambry and Mr. Pines had found the security room.

"...you really wanna do this, fellas?" Dipper heard the voice of Bud Gleeful say from down the hall, "You have to admit, it's kind of...how to put it...amoral?"

"If I want your opinion, old man, I'd ask for it!" Gideon growled back.

They reached a corner, and Dipper peeked around. Stanley, Gideon and Bud were gathered around a mechanical computer, the former with his hand over a lever.

"Bud, I know it sounds terrible," replied Stanley, solemnly, "But I've seen what the Children of Destiny can do. I saw countless timelines where the world was destroyed through their power as I fell through that portal. I can't let that happen. I _won't_ let that happen."

"But...surely, there's a better way," shrugged Bud.

"If there was, I would do it," snapped Stanley, "But there isn't. God forgive us, there isn't..."

He reached down for the lever. Stan immediately burst out of cover, running straight for his brother.

Agent Collins reacted swiftly, stepping in front of her boss and drawing her gun. Stan didn't even break his stride, slamming straight into the agent and twisting her arms upwards. There was a bang as she aimed fruitlessly into the sky before Stan managed to snatch the gun, aiming it straight at Stanley. The other ASE agents immediately drew their weapons, aiming them at Stan.

"Well, so much for stealth," muttered Wendy as she, Dipper and Mabel followed Stan into the room.

"Stanford, please," said Stanley, "You know this has to be done."

"All I know is that you're going too far, Stanley," snapped Stan, "Step away from the...what is that, a computer?"

"You'd shoot your own brother?" demanded Stanley.

"To protect my family?" replied Stan, "Yes."

"Well then," nodded Stanley, "Get it over with."

He extended his arms, exposing himself to his brother.

"Fire," he snapped.

Stan's hands began to shake. He was sweating visibly.

"That's enough, Stanley!" shouted Mabel, "Stop messing with him!"

"I'm not messing with him, Mabel," replied Stanley, "If he's going to threaten me, he'd better be able to back it up. _Fire_, Stanford."

Stan swallowed. Slowly, he lowered the gun.

"I can't," he replied, "Not my brother. I...I can't..."

"Well, ain't that a shame, Stanford," sneered Gideon, "Well, if we're not gonna have any more interruptions, I'd like to be gettin' rid of Dipper now, so..."

"Stanley!" an old, creaky voice thundered.

"Oh you've got to be kiddin' me," groaned Gideon.

All eyes fell on the entrance again. Dipper gasped as Old Man McGucket strode into the room, Pacifica following slightly awkwardly behind.

"Fiddleford?" gasped Stanley, "Wh-what do you know? What did you hear?"

"Enough," replied McGucket, "Jus' enough. Why?"

"The Children of Destiny are massive threats, they..." began Stanley.

"No they ain't," replied McGucket, "They're perfectly normal fellers, just like you. 'Fact, there's only _one_ Child o' Destiny who'd try to ruin the world, Stanley – and I reckon you jus' been played by him."

"What?" said Stanley, "What do you..."

"Well, that charade was nice while it lasted," shrugged Gideon, walking over to the lever, "Surprise, Stanley old friend! It's _me!_"

He threw the level. Both the machine and the generator began to whine loudly.

"You idiot!" exclaimed Dipper, "You just killed _yourself!_"

"No, I didn't," replied Gideon, "This machine was never gonna kill the Children of Destiny – I made sure of that. It's gonna _funnel_ their power instead – right into this room."

"And what would it be powering in this room?" asked Pacifica.

"Ain't that just the thing, _llama?_" sneered Gideon.

"Wait, what?" said Pacifica, tilting her head.

"Wait, _what?_" exclaimed Mabel.

"You knew?!" demanded Dipper.

"Of course," nodded Gideon, pulling the Children of Destiny book from his jacket, "Unlike you, I actually bothered to read this thing through. The thing's deciphered on page twenty-nine."

"You didn't answer our question," snapped Wendy, "What is it powering?"

"Something special," replied Gideon, "Something very near and dear to this town – or at least it _was_ before the Pines family intervened."

Green electricity began to arc above him, and he extended his arms.

"It's almost a shame you and that lumberjack freak made it in here," he sighed, "This room's shielded, y'see, so this machine can't scoop up your juicy little inner power. But that's okay, that just makes beatin' you that much more satisfyin'."

"What is it powering, boy?!" demanded Stanley, "Answer me!"

"I thought you'd have worked it out by now," said Gideon, "Who else would it be powerin'..."

There was a clap of thunder and the electricity turned a pale blue. Gideon slowly levitated into the air as his eyes began to glow. He grinned psychotically as power flowed through him – Dipper realised with utter dread what was happening as Gideon finished his sentence, his voice echoing slightly as he did.

"...but _widdle 'ol __**me?**_"

* * *

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* * *

AN: Yeah, you know I _thought_ it was a bit odd Gideon was going along with Stanley's plan... :P


	13. Chapter XII: Chaos Theory

Well, that was a long writing session. Fun though. Albeit I'm still dodgy at fight scenes.

Guest review replies;

**Guest: **Glad you liked it! Thanks for reading!

* * *

**Chapter XII: Chaos Theory**

Dipper watched, jaw agape, as Gideon floated in front of him, power flowing through him. Evil, glowing eyes gazed into his own as his adversary sneered and began to laugh.

"**Oh, that feels ****_good_****,**" he rumbled in a deep, booming voice, "**Really hits the spot, don't it? Thanks for the help, Stanley.**"

Stanley stepped back, visibly pale. Behind him, the All-Seeing Eye agents turned their guns on Gideon and opened fire. Gideon lazily pointed an arm at them – their bullets bounced harmlessly off an invisible shield.

"**Don't waste your bullets, fellas,**" said Gideon, "**There ain't nothin' you can do now. Just sit back and watch.**"

He extended an arm. The agents were thrown backwards, slamming into the brick wall of the basement and slumping into unconsciousness.

"Now, son, do we really need all this rough-housing?" gulped Bud.

"Agent Collins!" exclaimed Stanley, "Pull the plug! Now!"

Agent Collins sprinted over to the large power chord for the machine. She reached out for it – a bolt of electricity struck her, pushing her away.

"**Don't y'all think I thought of that?**" scoffed Gideon, "**That machine's running with enough volts to kill an elephant. You can't stop this, Stanley – nobody can.**"

"I can," snapped Dipper, stepping forward.

"So can I," added Mabel, standing next to her brother.

"And me," nodded Wendy, stepping up on the other side of Dipper.

Gideon snorted.

"**Well, alright Dumb and Dumber – and Mabel,**" he said, "**There's just one problem. There's somebody else who has a score to settle with you, Dipper.**"

"What do you mean..."

"Dipper, look out!" shouted Stan.

As if out of nowhere, Dipper found himself tackled by Harry Lonnighan. The two rolled onto one of the metal catwalks over the generator as the other boy clutched Dipper's neck.

"Harry...no...he's _insane_," choked Dipper.

"I don't care, he's gonna get me my life back!" thundered Harry.

Dipper swung his left hook into Harry's face, knocking him back. He climbed to his feet, raising his fists.

"Then I'm sorry, Harry," replied Dipper.

Harry got to his feet as well, grinding his teeth. His eye was swollen and black.

"You fight back now, Pines?" he breathed.

"I'm not a scared little kid anymore," replied Dipper.

"Then let's do this," snarled Harry.

He roared and lunged at Dipper.

* * *

Robbie ducked around a bend inside the Northwest Manor, an armed agent hot on his heels. Things were going about as well as could be expected – there were still way too many agents, but at least most of them were focused on Manly Dan.

Robbie winced as he heard a series of shots – all of them missed him and one of them struck an old-fashioned heater across from him. Then there was a clicking sound and a loud curse – the agent was empty. He looked to his right and saw a small pedestal, an expensive-looking vase on top. He grinned and grabbed it.

The agent came round the corner, his weapon reloaded – Robbie was ready for him. He flung the vase over-arm into the agent's face – it collided with a loud crash, fragmenting and knocking the agent to the ground.

"Yes!" cheered Robbie, pumping his fist.

He looked back to the heater. It was smoking and whining very loudly. He could hear the sound of leaking gas from the other side of the wall.

"Uh...not my fault," he muttered to himself.

* * *

As Dipper and Harry fought on the walkways above the generator, Gideon continued to hover in front of his friends and family. He was glaring down at Wendy and Mabel as he blocked them from helping Dipper. Off to the side, McGucket watched the insane Child of Destiny continue to gloat as he tried to think of a plan.

"**You don't even know what kinda power you're messin' with,**" snarled Gideon, "**I could crush you like bugs.**"

"Son, really, this is getting out of hand," said Bud, stepping in between Gideon and his opponents, "You have what you want, surely there's no need to-"

Gideon raised his fist and punched the air in front of his father. The result was rather like a dirt clod in front of an air-blast – Bud seemed simply to dissolve into a fine powder and evaporate into the air. Both Mabel and Wendy jumped back, horrified at what they'd just witnessed. Pacifica screamed, Stan's eyes widened, McGucket's jaw dropped and even Stanley looked taken aback.

"**Finally, I shut him up,**" said Gideon, a smirk crossing his face, "**Take that as a demonstration.**"

"Demonstration?" choked Stanley, "He was your father, you insane little..."

"**Says the man who nearly killed his grandson,**" interrupted Gideon.

Stanley had no reply.

McGucket watched as Gideon made fists of both his hands, floating towards Mabel and Wendy – to their credit, neither backed off.

_But it ain't enough_, McGucket thought, _Some fella has to distract 'em – give 'em time to think of a plan..._

He narrowed his eyes.

_Well, Fiddleford, now's your time._

He charged, screaming out a battle cry as he threw himself towards Gideon. Gideon has just enough time to turn towards the charging hillbilly before he had leapt onto him, clawing at his face. Electricity flowed through McGucket's body, but he felt no pain.

"**Get off me, you worm!**" thundered Gideon.

"Fellas!" shouted McGucket, looking back towards the Pines family, Wendy and Pacifica, "Don't just stand there, Think a' somethin'!"

"**I said get ****_off!_**"

To say that the punch Gideon threw into McGucket's chest was superhuman in strength would be to put it lightly. The force hit the old man with the force of a high-speed train, sending him flying towards the concrete wall at the end of the room. He collided, back-first, at what would be termed as terminal velocity, his old form burrowing several metres into the concrete. He blacked out, wracked with pain, believing the end had come.

But Fiddleford McGucket did not die.

* * *

"That's not supposed to happen, dudes," said Soos.

Tambry looked up at the screen Soos was pointing at. She winced – one of the manor's rooms seemed to have caught fire.

"Okay," she grunted, "Who started the fire?"

"That's the central heating system," explained Soos, "Looks like it's a gas heater. It's got pipes connecting it to every room in the house..."

"Please tell me that doesn't mean what I think it means," said Tambry.

"Yep," replied Mr. Pines, "I think we just burnt down a mansion."

There was a long silence.

"On the plus side, I'm sure they can afford a new one," shrugged Soos.

Tambry sniffed. She could smell the faint scent of gas starting to seep into the room.

"I think we better go," gulped Mr. Pines, "This place is gonna go up like a candle..."

"Hold on," replied Tambry, "I got one more idea I wanna try."

She typed a quick command into the laptop. The screens in front of them suddenly turned black, red words blinking in and out on them.

_OVERCHARGE GENERATOR – Y/N?_

Tambry grinned and pressed 'Y'.

* * *

"**Well, that was easy,**" sneered Gideon, looking at the hole that McGucket had made, "**Stupid old man. Now where were...**"

Wendy lunged at Gideon, grabbing him by the arms and pulling them back behind his back. As she did so, Mabel made a run for walkways, followed closely by Pacifica.

It was a very _ad-hoc_ plan, formed during a series of vague shouts as McGucket distracted Gideon. Wendy and the Pines brothers would keep Gideon distracted while Mabel and Pacifica shut down the safety mechanism for the generator. The safety mechanism was a small computer above the machine – if it was turned off, the generator was designed to automatically shut down – unless it was overcharged. If it was overcharged, it would tear itself apart and explode.

Judging by the groaning noises and the sparking of the generator, Mabel could hazard a guess that it was overcharged.

She and Pacifica dodged past Dipper and Harry, both boys too caught up in their fighting to pay any heed. It was hard to tell who was winning – at the moment, both were trading blows towards the other's heads.

Mabel glanced back. Wendy had attempted to pin down Gideon, but the overpowered boy had forced her off of him. He was turning to deal with his quarry when a thrown walking stick hit the back of his head.

"Play Stanley Pines for a fool, boy?" demanded Stanley, "I'll tear you a new one! Get over here!"

_Yep_, thought Mabel, _That's Stan's brother, alright._

They turned a corner, heading for the computer at the back right-hand corner of the room. There was a sudden bolt of electricity and the walkway shuddered – Mabel heard a scream and turned around.

The catwalk behind her had collapsed – Pacifica clung to the end of the walkway, looking down at the massive generator in fear. Mabel glanced between her, the computer and Gideon – who was now firing bolts of lightning towards Stan and Stanley, the two old men dodging and weaving around them.

"Mabel!" called Pacifica, "Help!"

Mabel ran back, reaching down and holding her arm out for her rival. Pacifica clutched it without hesitation with both hands, weighing heavily on her rescuer. Mabel heaved, gritting her teeth as she pulled Pacifica back onto firm ground. Both fell backwards onto the catwalk, Mabel panting for breath.

"You...you saved my life," breathed Pacifica.

"Just keep running!" shouted Mabel, climbing to her feet and running for the computer.

Seconds later, they reached the computer – a small device that rested on a metal table. Pacifica leant over it, putting a hand on her chin.

"Okay, how do we shut this thing off?" she asked, "I mean, I remember I had to..."

Mabel grabbed the computer and hurled it off the catwalk. There was a crash as it landed hard on top of the generator and broke.

"...that works too," nodded Pacifica.

Below them, the generator began to spin out of control and spark even more then it had before. Pacifica looked down and gulped.

"We'd better get out of here," she said.

"No kidding," nodded Mabel.

* * *

With a loud crash, Dipper was slammed against the rail of the catwalk. Before he could recover, Harry had grabbed him by the collar and was lifting him up. His face was red and his eyes were wild – Dipper was reminded of a raging bull.

"This is it, Pines!" snarled Harry, "End of the line! Time to get my life back!"

"You couldn't do it last time!" exclaimed Dipper, "What makes you think you can do it now?"

"I-I'm better then I was!" replied Harry, "Stronger! Harder!"

"Then why don't you just do it?" demanded Dipper.

Harry glanced between Dipper and the other side of the railing. It looked like his mind was racing.

"You're not like this, Harry," said Dipper, "And you don't have to be."

"But...but my _life_, Pines!" thundered Harry, "I want it back! I want my father back!"

"Why?" asked Dipper.

Harry tried to respond, stumbling over his words as he tried to construct a reply.

"Your dad never cared about you, he just wanted a pawn," continued Dipper, "Is that what you want? To blindly follow him around, trying to get him to care about you? Do you think he deserves you?"

Harry had no reply. He was paralysed by indecision.

"I'm sorry, Harry," said Dipper, "I really am."

"For ruining my life?" demanded Harry, hoarsely.

"No," replied Dipper, "For this."

He kicked Harry in the shin. Harry yelped in pain, dropping Dipper and lurching backwards. He collided with the other railing of the catwalk and fell to the ground, clutching his leg.

"Grunkle Stan taught me that one," nodded Dipper, "Glad it worked."

He turned around, walking back towards Gideon. The latter was hurling bolts of lightning towards Wendy, who was dodging each of them in succession.

"Hey, Gideon!" shouted Dipper, "Nice aim!"

Gideon turned around. His face contorted into a scowl.

"**You should be – urgh, you can't get good help these days,**" he snarled, "**That's it! Enough playing!**"

He extended his arms. A shockwave burst from him, knocking Wendy and the Pines brothers to the ground. Before Dipper could react, he had turned his right hand towards him. It glowed blue, and Dipper was telekinetically lifted into the air.

"**If you want somethin' done properly, do it yourself,**" grunted Gideon.

"It's over, you little twerp!" shouted Stan, "That generator's going up!"

"Perhaps you could have consulted me before you blew up my house?"

All eyes fell on Preston, still tied up in the corner.

"...oh yeah, I forgot about you," shrugged Stan.

"To be fair, we did break in," added Wendy.

Gideon shook his head and smirked.

"**Don't y'all think I thought of that, Stanford?**" he demanded, "**I don't ****_need_**** the generator. All the power is in ****_me_****.**"

"That won't help you when it explodes," replied Stanley, "The whole manor will be destroyed. Not even _you_ could survive that."

"**Then I'll just wrap this up quickly, won't I,**" said Gideon, "**Startin' with good ol' Dipper Pines.**"

He turned back to Dipper, who was trying to wriggle free of Gideon's psionic grip.

"**I just want you to know, before you die,**" he sneered, "**I'm gonna take Mabel as my own, and then I'm gonna destroy everything you hold dear – starting with your freaky little lumberjack.**"

Dipper clenched his fists. Quite suddenly, he began to feel odd, as if mild static electricity were running across his skin. He glanced down – his hands were starting to glow red. Gideon, for his part, didn't seem to notice.

"**Why don't you think about it as you fall, Dipper?**" finished Gideon, "**You ****_lose_****.**"

He opened his palm and Dipper began to fall. He closed his eyes.

"_Dipper!_" exclaimed Mabel as she ran back from the other side of the room.

"_Dipper!_" shouted Wendy, reaching out to him.

Suddenly, Dipper felt himself stop falling, as though he had landed on a soft mattress. He opened his eyes.

He was hovering just over the generator (which was now in terrible shape with steam leaking from every orifice), just next to the catwalk. He looked up – Wendy's arm was glowing green, as were her eyes. He looked towards the metal surface of the catwalk. He could see himself reflected – his eyes were glowing too.

"**Oh, you have got to be kiddin' me!**" exclaimed Gideon.

Dipper looked back at Wendy. She looked at him. They needed to say nothing – their eyes conveyed everything. The tables had turned.

Wendy lifted Dipper back onto the catwalk, dropping him gently on the other side of Gideon. Both of the Children of Destiny advanced on their enemy, their hands glowing with energy.

"Two against one, Gideon," said Dipper, "It's over."

"_Three_ against one."

Dipper looked at the hole in the wall. It was glowing yellow, and a figure was emerging from it. A prospector's hat was dropped out first – then a man.

Fiddleford Hadron McGucket climbed to his feet, looking better than he had for thirty years. It was as if he had regenerated – the scars of both age and madness had been peeled away, replaced by an ill-fitting, slightly ragged suit and tie and a pair of glasses. His eyes and hands also glowed – his colour was yellow.

"**What?!**" demanded Gideon.

"Fiddleford, you..." breathed Stanley.

"_Him?!_" exclaimed Stan.

Gideon pulled the Children of Destiny book from his jacket again, frantically turning to the index as McGucket advanced on him.

"We're in Gravity Falls, Gideon," he said, "We have more supernatural activity then anywhere on Earth – which means more Children of Destiny then anywhere on Earth."\

"**Fiddleford McGucket,**" read Gideon, "**Aw, how did I miss that?!**"

"Enough talk," said Dipper, "Let's finish this."

"**You can't beat me!**" exclaimed Gideon, raising his arms, "**I'm a god, y'hear?! A ****_GOD!_**"

He fired a bolt of lightning at Wendy, who deflected it with her arm.

Stanley turned to Stan, putting an arm on his brother's shoulder.

"Take everyone else and run," he ordered, "We'll finish this."

"I'm not leaving without Dipper," snapped Stan.

"He'll be fine, just go!" shouted Stanley.

Stan didn't budge. Stanley sighed.

"Stanford, listen," he pleaded, "I was wrong. I as wrong in every conceivable way. I need to help finish this. Dipper and Wendy will be fine, just..."

"And you?" demanded Stan.

"The person I was died thirty years ago, Stanford," replied Stanley, "And even if we hadn't, you were always the better man. Now let me do this."

Stan swallowed and nodded.

"Mabel! Blondie! Grab the rich jerk and run for it!"

Mabel opened her mouth to protest. Dipper turned to her.

"I'll be fine, just go!" he shouted.

Mabel nodded and ran.

Dipper turned back to Gideon, extending his arms.

"You like lightning, Gideon?" he asked, "Try some of this."

He fired his own bolts of lightning at Gideon, Wendy following his lead. As they did so, McGucket charged the large boy, grabbing him by the arm. Stanley followed, clutching the other arm. Dipper lowered his arms so as not to hit them.

"Keep it up, Dipper!" roared Stanley, "We'll be fine!"

"What're you doing?!" called Wendy.

"Pushing him into the generator!" replied McGucket.

"But if you do that, you'll..." said Dipper.

"We know what we're getting into!" yelled Stanley, "Just shield yourselves when I give the word!"

"**Unhand me, Stanley!**" thundered Gideon, "**I swear, I'm gonna make you ****_suffer!_**"

Reluctantly, Dipper and Wendy aimed and fired their lightning again. As they did so, the generator began to splutter fire – they didn't have much time left.

"Wendy!" called Dipper, "Just...in case we don't make it, I..."

"We're gonna make it, Dipper, don't say that!" replied Wendy.

"Yeah, but in case we don't!" shouted Dipper, "I-I just wanna say that I..."

He swallowed.

"Wendy, I..."

"I know, Dipper," replied Wendy, "And it's cool, man. I do too..."

"_Shield yourselves!_" bellowed Stanley.

He and McGucket had dragged Gideon to the edge of the platform.

Dipper and Wendy finished their attack. Dipper ran towards Wendy, grabbing onto her and bracing himself.

"**Don't do it!**" said Gideon, "**I'll give y'all whatever you want, just...**"

"I've been doing the wrong thing for thirty years, boy," snapped Stanley, "If I'm going down, I'm going down for what's right! Fiddleford, now!"

He and McGucket pulled back, and both they and Gideon fell. Gideon screamed.

Then there was the loudest roar Dipper had ever heard, and light filled his eyes...

* * *

Stan was nearing the edge of the Northwest Manor grounds, Mabel, Pacifica, Preston, Harry and Agent Collins just ahead of him. The rest of the group were gathered in front of them, watching them approach. Suddenly, there was a thunderous roar, and Stan fell face first onto the concrete ground.

He peeled himself off the ground, turning around as he did so. The Northwest Manor was gone – all that remained was a plume of smoke and the outline of wreckage.

"Oh god," he heard Mr. Pines breathe.

"Dipper," said Mabel, shaking her head, "No...no, he has to be alright, he has to be, he's a Child of Destiny so he has to be..."

Stan shook his head, grabbing Mabel and pulling her close.

"Please, Grunkle Stan, tell me it isn't..." she whimpered, "Tell me he's okay!"

"Mabel, come here," whispered Stan, "Just...just come here..."

He pulled her into a hug, rubbing the back of her head as she cried into his shoulder.

"Dipper," she sobbed, "Why did it have to be Dipper?"

"He did the right thing, Mabel," Stan replied, his voice creaking, "We have...we have to remember that."

"Dudes, look!"

Soos was pointing out into the smoke. Stan and Mabel looked up.

Two figures were limping across the courtyard, one over the other's shoulder. As they stepped out of the smoke, it became abundantly clear who they were.

Dipper and Wendy trudged towards their friends, injured, dishevelled and covered in grime but alive. A grin crossed Stan's face, and Mabel began to laugh.

"Dipper!" she exclaimed, running up to her brother.

"Takes more than that to kill a Pines," said Stan to himself.

Mabel reached Dipper and Wendy, pulling them into a tight hug. She was soon joined by Soos, the latter laughing and rubbing his fist in Dipper's hair. Stan walked over and joined in – for once, without any form of reservation.

"See," breathed Dipper as the hug ended, "Nothing to it! Now if you don't mind, I'm going to sleep now..."

He immediately keeled over, falling unconscious on the ground. A second later, Wendy followed him – both lay next to each other, consumed by the welcoming embrace of sleep.

"Tambry, call an ambulance," ordered Mr. Pines, "Quickly, in case..."

"They'll be fine, Simon," replied Stan.

He looked up at the stars above and smiled.

"They're our family, after all."

* * *

JUDYLWB IDOOV LV ODUJHOB LQVSLUHG EB ZKDW RWKHU SDUDQRUPDO-EDVHG VKRZ VHW LQ RUHJRQ?

MDM JWIEV AL W ULHXEBQ YKZ NCSTRWK PQZT

* * *

AN: Well, that was violent. :P

One more chapter and then the epilogue.


	14. Chapter XIII: Something New

This one was also quite long, but fun to write. :)

Guest review replies;

**Zeditha:** Eh, it's cool, I get that. I'll be back on the inside in February, myself. :) Thanks for reading!

* * *

**Chapter XIII: Something New**

"...he's waking up...Dipper, can you hear me?"

Dipper opened his eyes, his head swimming. He could see a blurry face over him, a mass of brown hair flowing from her head. He blinked and his vision steadied, revealing the face to be Mabel's.

"...five more minutes, Mabel," he muttered.

"_He's awake!_" boomed Mabel, grabbing her brother in a hug. Dipper was immediately shaken out of his drowsiness, both by shock and by pain in his abdomen.

"Agh! Mabel, not so tight!" he said.

"Oops, sorry," nodded Mabel, dropping Dipper back onto the bed.

Dipper looked around. He was in a small hospital ward – one of those small, single-room ones. There was a drip next to him, but it didn't seem to be attached. He had several bandages under his blue hospital gown, and large parts of his body were somewhat sore.

"The hospital?" quizzed Dipper, "How did I...the manor! Mabel, is Wendy okay?!"

"She's fine," replied Mabel, grinning, "She's just down the hall. Woke up this morning."

"Wait..._this _morning?" asked Dipper, "How long have I been out?"

"Three days, kid."

Stan walked into the room, followed by Soos. The big handyman walked over to Dipper's side, arms outstretched.

"Dude, you made it!" exclaimed Soos.

"Wait, Soos, not healed, _not heal-ow ow ow..._" Dipper winced as Soos embraced him.

"Eh, suck it up," shrugged Stan.

"So," asked Dipper as Soos put him down, "When do I get to go home?"

"Not for another twenty-four hours," replied Stan, "The doctors wanna make sure you're not gonna collapse in on yourself before you go."

Dipper nodded.

"You okay, Grunkle Stan?" he asked.

Stan sighed.

"I've been better," he replied, "I've been dealing with a lot. But I'll be alright."

"Good lord, man, you're crowding him!"

A bearded doctor walked into the room, holding a clipboard as he glared at Stan, Soos and Mabel.

"Two visitors at a time," he said, sternly, "One of you is going to have to leave."

"Eh, somebody's gotta look after the Shack," nodded Soos, "I'll drop by later on, Dipper. Get well soon, bro!"

Dipper waved as Soos walked away. The doctor shook his head and tutted to himself as he handed Dipper the clipboard.

"I'd hate to force this on you, son, but the Feds want a statement on what happened," he said, "Some guy named Powers. You know him?"

"Ugh, please tell me we don't have to talk to that guy," groaned Stan.

"No, he's already left," replied the doctor, "You'll have to mail it."

"Good," said Stan.

The doctor nodded and walked away.

"Hey," asked Dipper, "Where's dad?"

"He went to pick up mom," replied Mabel, "And explain why you're in the hospital."

"I'm really glad that I'm not him right now," said Stan, "I mean, he is a _dead man_..."

Mabel visibly deflated and she looked at the wall.

"Aw...aw dang it, shouldn't have said that," cursed Stan.

"Is this about Eddie?" asked Dipper.

"His father called," replied Stan, bitterly, "He didn't take it well."

"He didn't blame you, did he?" demanded Dipper.

Mabel shook her head.

"No, he blamed you," she replied, "But it wasn't your fault, and you don't deserve that..."

Dipper sat up and put a hand on Mabel's shoulder.

"Mabel," he said, "Whatever his dad said to you doesn't matter. We know the truth, Grunkle Stan knows the truth, and that's all that matters."

He smiled at his sister. She smiled back.

"So, anything interesting happen while I was out?" asked Dipper.

Stan groaned and Mabel's smile widened.

"Soos pushed his..." grunted Stan.

"Soos pushed his wedding forward!" exclaimed Mabel, "Before semester starts! I'll get to go!"

"Ugh, he thought we'd need cheering up after everything that happened," said Stan, pinching the bridge of his nose, "So now I've gotta close down the Shack for that. _Great_..."

Dipper grinned and sat back as Mabel excitedly explained the plans for Soos' wedding. All seemed right with his world at the moment – there was just one thing he needed to do.

* * *

"Why don't I get a window?" asked Dipper.

Wendy shrugged.

Not long after Stan and Mabel had left, Dipper had been reluctantly allowed to get out of bed and limp down to Wendy's ward. He was now sitting next to her on her bed, looking out the window at the setting sun.

Wendy was a little better for wear then Dipper, having not had to fistfight a vengeful former enemy. She was still very bruised and rather dishevelled, though, and the doctors had insisted an overnight stay for her, too.

"So," asked Wendy, "Did you hear about Soos?"

Dipper nodded, sighing.

"I think I'm leaving after that," he replied.

"Why?" asked Wendy.

Dipper shrugged.

"Everything's different now," he replied, "After all the things that happened with Stanley and Mabel and the All-Seeing Eye, I just...I don't wanna dwell on it. I think it's time to move on."

"I get that," nodded Wendy, "You need to get away from it all, right?"

"Pretty much," replied Dipper, "Except I'm gonna need to buy a car. I should talk to Stan about that...or maybe Soos..."

"So do I start packing now or when you find some wheels?" asked Wendy.

Dipper turned to face Wendy.

"Look, Wendy," he said, "About what happened in the basement, before Stanley and McGucket...did you mean what I thought you meant?"

Wendy put a hand on Dipper's shoulder.

"Dip, it's probably gonna sound kinda dumb, but I think we have something," she said, "And I don't know if it's just a thing or if it's true love or whatever, but I wanna try it – see how long it lasts."

"And how long do you think it's gonna last?" asked Dipper.

"If we're lucky, man," replied Wendy, "The rest of our lives."

She smiled at him. Dipper's heart skipped a beat as he returned the gesture.

"Alright, I guess I'll just say it," he nodded, "I love you, Wendy."

"I love you, Dipper," replied Wendy.

They leaned in and kissed.

It was not the first time Dipper had kissed someone, in the proper sense of the word. He had done it a few times with Candy during their ill-fated relationship a few years prior. But this was the first time it had felt _right_, that it had _real_. That in itself was a feeling like no other.

After a few seconds, they pulled out of the kiss, looking into each other's eyes.

"Yeah," nodded Wendy, "I think it's gonna last."

* * *

Dipper and Wendy were both discharged from the hospital early the next morning. They returned to the Mystery Shack to a hero's welcome – although only Stan, Soos, Mabel and Dipper's parents were there, there was enough cheer and elation for twenty. Of particular note was Diane Pines, Dipper's mother, who had thrown herself at her son and embraced him so tightly that he nearly ended up back in hospital for asphyxiation.

A few days later, they received word from California that Eddie Hohenbecker had been laid to rest _in absentia_, as his body had never been found. It had been a quiet affair, attended only by a solitary priest and his father, Lieutenant Edward Hohenbecker Senior. In a way, Dipper felt that it was what Eddie would have wanted.

August faded slowly away, and with it did the summer. The weather became noticeably cooler and it rained more often. Dipper was now spending the majority of his time preparing to leave – by now, he had informed Stan, Soos and Mabel of his decision, but not his parents. That time would come later.

Finally, on the last day of summer, the day of Soos' wedding came.

It was not in any way a traditional affair.

For a start, it was conducted entirely in the front yard of the Mystery Shack. The original plan was for Stan to marry Soos and Melody, but he was overcome with emotion halfway through and had to be replaced by Mrs. Pines (Stan would later claim that he had had a hay fever attack). Dipper had served as best man, and since Melody's parents had been unable to make it, Mabel had volunteered to give her away. Due to the short notice of the wedding, it was mainly restricted to the Pines family, Wendy, Blubs and Durland (acting as agents of the state), Candy, Grenda and Soos' cousin Reggie – Soos' grandmother had unfortunately passed on a year earlier.

Nevertheless, it was a success, and the congregation had moved on to a reception inside the Shack – with one notable exception.

Dipper sat in the attic next to a large backpack, flipping through Journal 4. He smiled to himself at the memories contained within, before closing it and packing it. He reached onto his bed at the last thing he had left to take – the old, ragged Journal 3.

He flipped it open, turning to a particular page. He looked over the old, scarcely legible scrawl from what felt like an age ago.

_This journal told me there was no one in Gravity Falls I could trust, but when you battle a hundred gnomes side-by-side with someone, you realize that they've probably always got your back._

Dipper sighed and closed the book, slipping it into the front pocket of the backpack. He zipped it up and locked it with a padlock.

"I can't stop you, can I Dipper?"

Dipper jumped and turned to the door. Mr. Pines was standing in the doorframe, his arms crossed.

"Dad, I have to do this," replied Dipper, "This is my calling, y'know?"

Mr. Pines nodded solemnly.

"Can I at least ask you to consider this?" he asked.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small scrap of paper, handing it to his son. Dipper looked it over – it was a flyer for online college courses.

"You don't have to do it, but I just you to think about it for me," said Mr. Pines, "Can you do that, son?"

Dipper looked up from the flyer into his dad's eyes.

"I can do that," he replied, smiling.

His father smiled back.

"So, when are you going?" he asked.

"First thing tomorrow morning," replied Dipper, "Heading inland. The map says there's a few hotspots around eastern Oregon, so we'll be following..."

"_We_, eh?" interrupted Mr. Pines, "Let me guess. Wendy?"

"How'd you know?" asked Dipper.

"You're not very transparent, son," replied Mr. Pines, "So, if you're not going until tomorrow, surely you've got time to come down for the reception?"

Dipper glanced back towards his pack, then at his father.

"You know what?" he shrugged, "That's not a bad idea."

He got up and followed his father down the stairs to the party.

* * *

Morning soon came, and with it came autumn.

Dipper looked out the window of the attic at the brilliant red and gold of the sky. He took a deep breath, picked up his backpack, and headed downstairs.

He encountered Stan in the kitchen, sitting at the table with a mug of coffee. Mr and Mrs. Pines sat with him, the former looking at a newspaper while he talked to his companions.

"...you know what I don't get?" he said, "The Bill Cipher Wheel. We never found out what that was! I mean, is it still important now Bill's gone? And why those specific people? And..."

"Simon, you're turning into your father," grunted Stan, "Let it rest. If it comes up again, it comes up again."

"Morning," said Dipper, clearing his throat as he did so.

All eyes fell on him.

"Guess this is it, huh?" sighed Mr. Pines.

"Guess it is," nodded Dipper.

"Did you sort out a car?" asked Mrs. Pines, concerned, "You can't just hitchhike..."

"It's being worked out," shrugged Dipper, "Stan, you said you had something?"

"Soos is just getting it ready, kid," replied Stan.

"This _is_ legal, isn't it Uncle Stan?" demanded Mr. Pines.

"Sure it is!" replied Stan, offended, "What do you take me for, some kind of crook?!"

"Yes."

"Trust me, it's completely legal," continued Stan, "Or at least it _better_ be, or I'm asking Durland for my money back..."

"Is Dipper still here?"

Mabel walked into the room, rubbing her eyes and yawning. Dipper grinned and turned to face her.

"Course I am," he replied, "I wouldn't leave without saying goodbye, would I?"

He extended his arms. Mabel smiled back and hugged her brother.

"You'll call, right?" she asked.

"Every time I can," replied Dipper, "I love you, Mabel."

"I love you too, Broseph," said Mabel.

There was a knock at the door. Dipper let go of his sister and they went to answer it.

Wendy stood on the doorstep, her own backpack over her shoulders. She grinned at Dipper.

"You ready, Dip?" she asked.

"Almost," replied Dipper, "We've just gotta wait for Soos to..."

There was an odd-sounding horn from around by the gift shop. Dipper glanced at Mabel, who merely grinned broadly.

"...he didn't, right?" he said.

"Oh, he did!" replied Mabel.

The three made their way through the Shack to the porch outside the gift shop, where Stan and Dipper's parents had already gathered. Dipper shook his head in disbelief.

Soos stood next to the car recovered from the All-Seeing Eye cache, grinning and giving a thumbs up. The car was almost unrecognisable – it had been repainted, re-tyred, re-engined and completely refurbished.

"He actually did it," breathed Dipper.

"Of course he did, he's Soos!" exclaimed Mabel.

"So," asked Soos, walking up to Dipper and Wendy and putting his arms around their shoulders, "What do you think, dudes? Did I Soos your ride enough?"

"Soos, that's _amazing!_" exclaimed Dipper.

"Nice work, man," nodded Wendy, "_Very_ nice work."

"Thanks, dudes," said Soos.

He scooped Dipper and Wendy up into a hug. Mabel took the cue to jump in herself.

"Aw, I'm gonna miss you guys so much!" he exclaimed, "I-I promised myself I wouldn't cry..."

He began to cry despite himself.

"Good luck, guys," said Mabel, "We'll be behind you every step of the way. Like ghost friends!"

"I'll call you every day," assured Dipper, "I'll call you so often it'll annoy you, alright?"

"And if he forgets, I'll annoy _him_ until he does," added Wendy.

They pulled out of the hug, and Dipper turned to his parents and Stan.

"Keep safe, Dipper," said his mother, embracing him, "If you ever need us, we're right here."

"And we're proud of you," added Mr. Pines, "Never forget that, alright?"

Dipper swallowed and glanced over to Stan.

"Give 'em hell, kid," he said, nodding.

"I will, Grunkle Stan," replied Dipper, "I promise."

Dipper pulled out of his mother's hug. Soos threw him the keys to the car, trying to give him a reassuring grin through his tears. He took a deep breath and turned to the car.

"Well," he said, "Here we go."

"Right behind you, man," reassured Wendy, putting a hand on his shoulder.

He walked down to the car and put the keys in the door. For a moment, he glanced back. Mabel waved, her eyes watering slightly as she smiled regardless. Dipper smiled and waved back before climbing into the car.

He turned on the ignition as Wendy climbed into the passenger seat.

"You ready?" asked Dipper.

Wendy leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

"Ready when you are, Dipper," she nodded.

Dipper grinned.

"Then let's do this."

He drove out of the parking lot and onto the open road, due east into the dawning sun. As they left the Shack and Gravity Falls behind them, Dipper felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, as though his path onwards was clear.

It was a new day and a new life, and Dipper Pines could not wait to get started.

_Yeah, I'll gravitate toward you,  
Or you'll miss me when I'm gone,  
'Cause things are getting creepy in this sleepy state of Oregon,  
And I'm gonna set things straight again,  
I'm gonna prove them wrong,  
I'm gonna show the world the Supernatural..._

\- _Ken Ashcorp, 'Supernatural'_

* * *

WKDQN BRX IRU DOO BRXU VXSSRUW.

* * *

AN: I reckon I might give the wedding it's own oneshot. What do you think?

We're not quite done yet, by the way, there's still an epilogue to be done.


	15. Epilogue

Last chapter of the story, but _not_ of this universe.

One day I am going to write a story that does not snowball into an epic. One day.

Guest review replies;

**Zeditha:** Don't worry, a sequel is pretty inevitable. =P Probably going to have a short break first, though. Thanks for reading!

* * *

**Epilogue**

Harry Lonnighan stood on the small wooden platform at the small railway station that served Gravity Falls. He looked across the line to see the golden leaves of the dying trees lit up by the morning sun as a cool breeze wafted around him. All was tranquil – it was if everything that had happened at the Northwest Manor had never occurred.

And maybe that feeling was for the best.

For years, Harry had been defined by his goal to regain his father's favour. He had worked and trained as Gideon's right hand, readying himself to eliminate Dipper Pines. But now everything was clear to him – his father would never want him, not in the way Harry wished he would. In a way, this realisation was a liberation, for now that he knew the truth, Harry was no longer defined by Gordon Lonnighan.

The truth, you might say, had set him free.

There was a low-pitched roar as the train rolled into view, screeching as it came to a halt by the platform. A conductor stepped out of the back carriage of the short train, walking down and opening the doors one-by-one.

Harry looked up at the infinite blue sky above, taking in the drifting clouds. He could see a hawk soaring through the heavens, majestically rising and diving as it was illuminated by the sun's golden light. He smiled at it and looked back down at the train.

"You gettin' on, Mac?"

A ticket collector had wandered up, holding a small ticket puncher as he waited for Harry's reply.

Harry nodded, pulling his ticket from his jacket pocket.

"So," asked the ticket collector as he punched the ticket, "You goin' anywhere special? Or you just runnin'?"

"I don't know," shrugged Harry.

The ticket collector smirked.

"Driftin' free, then," he said, "All aboard, kid."

He walked away, whistling to himself. Harry watched him go.

"Yeah," he whispered, "Drifting free."

* * *

"This is it, sir."

Major Simon Richardson climbed out of the military Land Rover onto the small London back road, hugging his greatcoat to keep out the cold, rainy night. He stood in front of a small old inn called 'The Royal Fusilier', dim but inviting yellow lights beckoning him into the warmth of the building.

"Wallis," he whispered to his drive, "If I'm not back in twenty, call for backup."

"Aye, sir."

Richardson nodded and walked across the road, rubbing his shoes on the mat before entering the inn.

The inn was empty, the lights all switched off save for a few candles and a dying fire in the fireplace. An elderly innkeeper stood behind the wooden counter, wiping down a mug with a rag. He raised an eyebrow at his guest.

"Evening, sir," he nodded, "Care for a pint?"

"Sorry, I'm here in business," replied Richardson, "I'm looking for a tenant."

"The Northern bloke?" quizzed the innkeeper, "Up the stairs, first door on your left. Is he in trouble?"

"Sorry, sir, it's strictly need-to-know," said Richardson, "But he's not being arrested, if that's what you're asking."

"Good," nodded the innkeeper, "I'm needing his rent."

_Of course you are_, thought Richardson.

He walked down to the back of the inn and up a small, rickety staircase into a dark, slightly smoky corridor. He reached the door he needed and knocked.

"I'll 'ave yer bleeding rent in..."

"Major Richardson, Royal Extraterrestrial Research Enclave."

There was a quiet swear and the door opened. A grizzled, weathered man in a wrinkled brown waistcoat over a stained white shirt and ragged work pants glared at Richardson.

"Broker," nodded Richardson.

"What, pray tell," demanded the Broker, "Do aliens 'ave to do with my line o' work?"

"Extraterrestrial is defined to include the paranormal by GCHQ, so it's our responsibility," replied Richardson, "I'm here about the Bill Cipher Wheel and the Children of Destiny."

"Are ye now?" said the Broker, raising an eyebrow, "Well then, come in and take yer coat off – we'll discuss a trade."

He walked back into his room, sitting down at a small, cluttered oak desk by the window, lit only by a dim desk lamp. Richardson followed him in, but didn't take off his coat. He did not trust this man.

"Let's make this quick," he said, "I need everything you know about the Wheel and the CoDs. _Everything_. We're willing to trade, so name your price."

"Not even gonna barter, Major?" scoffed the Broker, "This'll be easier than I thought."

"What do you need?" demanded Richardson.

"First of all, I wanna know why ye want this information," replied the Broker, crossing his arms.

"Something big is coming," replied Richardson, "It may come tomorrow, it may come in five years, but it's coming. Both the Wheel and the CoDs are integral to fighting it. We're trying to get them together."

"Team-buildin', are we?" nodded the Broker, "Fair enough. Alright, I'll name me price."

He looked out the window.

"I want land."

"Land?" quizzed Richardson, "For farming?"

"For timber," replied the Broker.

Richardson bit down his deep confusion at the request and nodded.

"I'll bring it up with command," he said, "All goes well, we'll make the exchange on Friday. Do you care where the land is?"

"As long as it's got trees, I'm not fussed," replied the Broker.

"Very well," said Richardson, "Meet me and my commander at Tower Gateway DLR at noon on Friday. Try to look discreet. Good evening, Broker."

He turned and walked away. The Broker watched him go, smirking to himself.

"So naive," he muttered, getting up from his desk. He strolled over to a cabinet on the other side of the room, singing quietly to himself.

"_Led through the mist by the milk-light of moon...all that is lost is revealed..._"

He opened the cabinet, rifling through the clutter inside.

"_Our long bygone burdens, mere echoes of the spring..._"

He smirked as he found what he was looking for, pulling it out and walking back to the desk.

"_But where have we come, and where shall we end?_"

He pulled a match from his jacket, lighting it as he opened the rusty old lantern in his hand. He lit the lantern, switched off the desk lamp and plunged into darkness.

"_If dreams can't come true...then why not pretend?_"

**The End**

* * *

AN: Is this a good time to mention I've got an Over the Garden Wall story planned on my backlog?

Once again, I find myself tagging a story complete, and once again I must express my utmost gratitude to all of you who read, reviewed, faved and followed this story. You guys are what motivates me to keep writing, and I deeply appreciate all of your support. I would also like to thank Alex Hirsch, who in his infinite wisdom created _Gravity Falls_ and has the Herculean patience not to come after fanfic writers like me with a hacksaw when we mess with his canon.

So, where next for _Forever Autumn_? Well, this is the last story that will use the title _Forever Autumn_, but that's just because I felt it was a bit weird using it for a story set in August. My upcoming OTGW fic will be set in the same universe, so if you like that show I invite you to check it out when it's up and running. Other then that, I might have a sequel started in a month or so - I'll have to see how much work I have thrown at me when term starts again. I am also brainstorming for a seperate story called _Bound for Beyond_, which will be a crossover story but will have Dipper, Mabel and Wendy as main characters.

Anyway, that's enough rambling from me. If you're back at school or work by now, good luck, and if you're south of the equator like I am, enjoy the rest of your holidays. Bye!


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